100,000 SIGNATURES ON PETITION TO RE-CRIMINALISE CANNABIS

100,000 SIGNATURES ON PETITION TO RE-CRIMINALISE CANNABIS

Recreational cannabis will be banned in Thailand

More than 100,000 Thais have signed a petition to have cannabis re-classified as a category 5 narcotic. The development comes as proponents of the drug plan a mass rally for June 9, to protest any plans to re-criminalise it.

Thailand’s public health minister, along with the Thai PM, have vowed to re-criminalise the plant, two years after it was unexpectedly delisted as a narcotic drug.

According to a Phuket Express report, health minister Somsak Thepsuthin has addressed the ongoing controversy over potentially re-criminalising cannabis. He says the demands of the anti-cannabis group Youth Network Against Cannabis broadly align with the government’s view.

The group has already submitted a petition of more than 100,000 signatures, calling for the drug to be restricted to medicinal use only, and for recreational use to be re-criminalised.

Somsak says he’s committed to minimising conflict as the debate rages between both pro and anti-cannabis factions.

Proponents of cannabis have already called for a public debate or a vote on whether or not the drug should be re-criminalised. Somsak has declined to say if such a debate or vote could be held, although all political parties, except for Bhum Jai Thai, included a decriminalisation of cannabis, or a restriction for medicinal use only, in their election promises last year.

Meanwhile, the owners of cannabis businesses that opened up following its de-criminalisation are concerned about the effects of re-classification – an estimated 6,000 – 7,000 businesses. However, Somsak says those businesses could still continue operating under medical and health guidelines. The health minister says the process of legally using the drug for medicinal reasons only would not be complex, expensive, or intrusive.

Asked about the June 9 protest (exactly two years after the declaration to delist the drug from Category 5 narcotic list) being organised by pro-cannabis groups, the health minister says he’s unaware of it but is willing to hold talks with those concerned in a bid to move forward with finalising the wording for the new Cannabis & Hemp Bill which would be submitted to parliament.

Cannabis proponents say they’re planning a mass gathering to show their opposition to the drug being re-classified. They have also cast doubt on the integrity and transparency of how signatures were added to the petition to re-criminalise cannabis.