reader Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 From Forbes Thailand's cannabis landscape may change soon as the Southeast Asian country is to ban recreational use of cannabis. The new Thai government has introduced a bill to amend the current cannabis legislation in order to ban the recreational use of cannabis after decriminalization has led the country to flourish cannabis stores around the country. Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew signed last weekend a bill to amend the current cannabis legislation, emphasizing that it can't be used recreationally, as reported by local news media outlets. Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalize recreational cannabis in 2022 after regulating its medical use in 2018. However, the absence of regulations led to a proliferation of cannabis shops selling products without oversight. This prompted the newly elected government in 2023 to review the country's cannabis policy and establish clear legislation. Under the proposed legislation, cannabis will be strictly for medical use, explicitly prohibiting its recreational use. Additionally, the legislation specifies that authorized stores can only sell parts of the cannabis plant that are legally allowed, likely excluding the plant's flowers due to their THC content. The proposed legislation has not yet clarified whether a medical certificate will be necessary to purchase medical cannabis. Although legally registered cannabis stores are unlikely to lose their licenses, they will only be allowed to sell parts of the cannabis plant that are legal in Thailand. n that regard, the proposed legislation aims to assist law enforcement. By making products containing more than 0.2% THC illegal, it aims to facilitate the prosecution of individuals who use cannabis recreationally. vinapu and TMax 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
floridarob Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 That'll leave 1/2 of Pattaya storefronts empty .... vinapu and TMax 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reader Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 It's ironic that legalizing it was the brainchild of Anutin Charnvirakul, who was Minister of Health in the cabinet of the previous administration and now Interior Minister in current one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t0oL1 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 All those families that spent all their earnings to open a weed shop. Now to lose it all so police can lock up people for nothing again... floridarob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithambrose Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 3 hours ago, reader said: It's ironic that legalizing it was the brainchild of Anutin Charnvirakul, who was Minister of Health in the cabinet of the previous administration and now Interior Minister in current one. It is said that his family control a large no of cannabis farms! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omega Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Has there been much of a detriment to Thai society since Cannabis was legalised? Beyond the huge number of cannabis shops that is? Marc in Calif 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reader Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 Yesterday, February 13th, 2024, the draft cannabis bill that would ban recreational usage of cannabis was not approved by the Thai Cabinet, with relevant officials and the Minister of Public Health calling it a “delay” to speak with the public, pro cannabis interest groups, and get more opinions. Marc in Calif 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinapu Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 that's good. I think there are more pressing issues in Thailand Marc in Calif 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reader Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 From Pattaya Mail Thailand’s anti-cannabis laws will have a slow start By Barry Kenyon Although Thai authorities are determined to outlaw smoking cannabis for pleasure once and for all, experts say that there is likely to be a long grace or settling-in period. Jessataporn Bunnag, a specialist lawyer, said “A great deal of money was invested prior to decriminalization of the herb in 2022,and it’s going to take time for a new legislative process to evolve.” Commentator Chokwan Kitty Chopakasai predicted that some shops which had abused the system in the last 18 months – for example opening selling joints, edibles and extracts – would close, but that most would still be able to operate provided they obtained new licences and kept detailed records. Of course, the draft law is still under consideration for public debate. “They let the genie out of the bottle with descheduling and how they put it back is one of the biggest challenges,” he said. Under the draft revisionist cannabis and hemp law, only marijuana for medical purposes will be legal, whilst the police will have expanded powers to investigate the sale of smokable marijuana outside the medical market. There will also be a ban on some commercial imports of the drug. Future ambiguities in enforcement include how the police will differentiate between medical and pleasure marijuana. Presumably, an insomniac enjoys smoking weed which he believes can help him or her sleep better. Thailand has around 6,500 marijuana stores which aren’t necessarily illegal as many operate in a sort-of gray area with cannabis currently delisted as a narcotic. Other shortcomings of the current law include a lack of testing requirements, no seed-to-sale program for marijuana and confusion over taxation issues. Many commentators believe that, once the new legislation is in place, police will focus on the illicit selling of marijuana online, foreigners and Thais selling hash and concentrates and anyone selling imported cannabis, all of which are expected to be crimes. But a full scale assault is much less likely. Matt, a Pattaya marijuana seller, concluded, “Selective enforcement is part of the Thai system. After all, prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since the 1960s, but you still find traces of it here and there.” Future ambiguities in enforcement include how the police will differentiate between medical and pleasure marijuana. Presumably, an insomniac enjoys smoking weed which he believes can help him or her sleep better. Thailand has around 6,500 marijuana stores which aren’t necessarily illegal as many operate in a sort-of gray area with cannabis currently delisted as a narcotic. Other shortcomings of the current law include a lack of testing requirements, no seed-to-sale program for marijuana and confusion over taxation issues. vinapu and TMax 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithambrose Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 6 hours ago, reader said: From Pattaya Mail Thailand’s anti-cannabis laws will have a slow start By Barry Kenyon Although Thai authorities are determined to outlaw smoking cannabis for pleasure once and for all, experts say that there is likely to be a long grace or settling-in period. Jessataporn Bunnag, a specialist lawyer, said “A great deal of money was invested prior to decriminalization of the herb in 2022,and it’s going to take time for a new legislative process to evolve.” Commentator Chokwan Kitty Chopakasai predicted that some shops which had abused the system in the last 18 months – for example opening selling joints, edibles and extracts – would close, but that most would still be able to operate provided they obtained new licences and kept detailed records. Of course, the draft law is still under consideration for public debate. “They let the genie out of the bottle with descheduling and how they put it back is one of the biggest challenges,” he said. Under the draft revisionist cannabis and hemp law, only marijuana for medical purposes will be legal, whilst the police will have expanded powers to investigate the sale of smokable marijuana outside the medical market. There will also be a ban on some commercial imports of the drug. Future ambiguities in enforcement include how the police will differentiate between medical and pleasure marijuana. Presumably, an insomniac enjoys smoking weed which he believes can help him or her sleep better. Thailand has around 6,500 marijuana stores which aren’t necessarily illegal as many operate in a sort-of gray area with cannabis currently delisted as a narcotic. Other shortcomings of the current law include a lack of testing requirements, no seed-to-sale program for marijuana and confusion over taxation issues. Many commentators believe that, once the new legislation is in place, police will focus on the illicit selling of marijuana online, foreigners and Thais selling hash and concentrates and anyone selling imported cannabis, all of which are expected to be crimes. But a full scale assault is much less likely. Matt, a Pattaya marijuana seller, concluded, “Selective enforcement is part of the Thai system. After all, prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since the 1960s, but you still find traces of it here and there.” Future ambiguities in enforcement include how the police will differentiate between medical and pleasure marijuana. Presumably, an insomniac enjoys smoking weed which he believes can help him or her sleep better. Thailand has around 6,500 marijuana stores which aren’t necessarily illegal as many operate in a sort-of gray area with cannabis currently delisted as a narcotic. Other shortcomings of the current law include a lack of testing requirements, no seed-to-sale program for marijuana and confusion over taxation issues. I am amused by the comment above by 'Matt', about prostitution. 'After all prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since centuries the 1960's, but you still find traces of it here and there' I wonder why he bothers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macaroni21 Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Someone mentioned to me that the owners of existing shops believe that all they need to do after any new legislation is to hire a pharmacist to certify every sale as medically necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc in Calif Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 8 hours ago, Keithambrose said: I am amused by the comment above by 'Matt', about prostitution. 'After all prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since centuries the 1960's, but you still find traces of it here and there' I'm even more amused that you somehow found the word "centuries" in Matt's comment. Perhaps we can find "traces" of something that's affecting you? 😽 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithambrose Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 15 hours ago, Marc in Calif said: I'm even more amused that you somehow found the word "centuries" in Matt's comment. Perhaps we can find "traces" of something that's affecting you? 😽 I should turn off predictive text. Marc in Calif 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
