Man changes surname to “Ganjaram” to celebrate cannabis decriminalisation
A Thai man in the Isaan province of Buriram has changed his surname to “Ganjaram” to celebrate the decriminalisation of cannabis in Thailand. He says his pregnant wife had already checked the surname’s meaning and found it had a good essence, and added his newborn baby, expected to born on June 22, will be proud of him.
On Friday, one day after the decriminalisation of cannabis, local media reported that 32 year old Pattarapong Napatalung, or Pattarapong Ganjaram for now, visited Buriram Provincial Office to officially change his surname. Pattarapong checked and found out that his real surname is considered unlucky for the baby according to the birthdate so, he decided to change it.
Pattarapong was going to use a different surname but later found out another family had taken it. But it was while he was at home rethinking a new surname that news broke on the television of the cannabis decriminalisation, providing him with the inspiration. Pattarapong explained that “Ganja” came from cannabis, and “Ram” came from the Buriram province where he is living. His wife analysed the surname online and found that it had a good meaning and matched the baby’s birthday.
The cannabis event on TV was the “360 Degrees Panorama of Cannabis: What people get from them?” at Chang International Circuit in Buriram. The event showcased many cannabis products, cannabis clinics, and other information about growing and using cannabis after the law was relaxed.
The Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, also joined the event. At the opening ceremony the minister says his party, Bhum Jai Thai, didn’t just talk-the-talk but walked-the-walk to make cannabis decriminalisation possible. He added that 2.3 million users had registered to grow cannabis via the Plook Ganj mobile application, and more than 350 thousand users were approved. Thai people are interested in cannabis, and he believes cannabis will be the next cash crop in Thailand.
