Thai cannabis advocates ‘weed’ out opposition in Bangkok

Cannabis advocates are rallying to protect the future of the plant in Thailand. Led by Prasitchai Nunual, the Secretary-General of the Network for Shaping the Future of Thai Cannabis, over 300 people are set to gather in front of the UN Office on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, aiming to march to the Government House. Their protest, scheduled for yesterday at 1pm, coincides with the second anniversary of cannabis legalisation in Thailand.

The demonstrators plan to file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court if the government decides to reclassify cannabis as an illegal narcotic. Their main demand is for the government to use scientific processes to determine the future of cannabis regulation, ensuring it remains accessible to the public and not just a privileged few.

Prasitchai emphasised that the movement’s primary goal is to protect cannabis rights for the Thai public through specific legislation rather than narcotics laws. He warned that reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic could result in higher prices controlled by pharmaceutical companies, similar to the situation in England, where medical cannabis remains largely inaccessible.

“Cannabis would go underground, leading to corruption and issues like prostitution.”

The advocates argue that regulating cannabis through targeted legislation would allow for systematic development and flexible consumer protection rules. They criticised the government’s reluctance to adopt such legislation, attributing it to an unwillingness to grant rights to the people and prevent monopolies.

Prasitchai called for the use of scientific data and research to determine the status of cannabis. He suggested comparing the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis on health and society, and studying the impacts of cannabis legalisation since yesterday. He proposed that if cannabis is found to have caused more harm than benefits through peer-reviewed studies, it should be controlled as a narcotic; otherwise, it should remain regulated under specific legislation.

Cannabis services

Adding to the voices of concern, the Chairperson of the Medical Cannabis and Herbal Medicine Program at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Assoc. Prof. Dr Thawatchai Kamoltham warned that reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic would complicate access to medical cannabis services, disrupt investments, and lead to job losses and a return to the black market.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Thawatchai proposed three recommendations: not to reclassify cannabis as an illegal drug, to place cannabis under the proposed Cannabis and Hemp Act similar to the Tobacco Product Control Act and Alcohol Control Act, and to educate doctors and the public to develop new professions, such as medical cannabis specialists, reported Pattaya News.