Decriminalization of marijuana; Country grapples with ‘misuse’!

Following recent allegations of misuse and use by youngsters, notable segments of Thailand’s civil society and government call for more restrictions on marijuana access and usage. The sale and use of marijuana were decriminalised for the first time in Southeast Asia in Thailand. The legislation’s chief proponent, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, promoted marijuana as a cash crop and supported its usage for medical purposes. According to the Reuters news agency, the move gave rise to a number of stores selling pre-rolled joints and local and imported strains of marijuana.

But since then, recreational activity utilisation has increased dramatically. Currently, physicians and some lawmakers seek stricter laws or even a ban on marijuana usage. Parliament is still debating the laws that would regulate the production, distribution, and use of marijuana as there is still some uncertainty over its legality. Senator Somchai Sawangkarn said on Wednesday, ‘We’re in a vacuum’. He asserted that despite the health ministry’s pronouncements, recreational usage had not decreased.

What does Thailand’s legalisation of cannabis mean?
Following a petition to relist marijuana as a narcotic submitted by Smith Srisont, president of Thailand’s society of forensic physicians, the dispute over the marijuana law reached the judiciary last week. He told reporters, ‘It was incorrect to not have regulatory regulations before unlocking cannabis… it is not being utilised therapeutically, but recreationally’.  Many company owners, who have benefited financially ever since cannabis usage became legal, advocate tighter regulations on its use but have ruled out recriminalizing it.

Akira Wongwan, the chief executive of the medicinal cannabis company Adam Group, claimed that the profit margins for cannabis used for recreational purposes were ‘extremely high’.  Even if restrictions change, most individuals still believe they can profit now, according to Akira. According to a study by the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the industry might be worth $1.2 billion by 2025.