Cops Bust 72-Year-old Woman for 5-Inch Marijuana Plant

Police in northeastern Thailand have come under fire after they arrested a 72-year-old woman and her daughter for a 5-inch tall marijuana plant.

Local police have been told to exercise some common sense when enforcing the law regulating cannabis (marijuana). This follows the arrest on Sunday of a mother and daughter in Khon Kaen for growing one cannabis plant as medicine at home.

Police took flak for their action, resulting in Pol Lt Gen Yanyong Wet-Osot, commissioner of the Khon Kaen Provincial Police, telling officers to avoid enforcing the law too vigorously against people who grow and use marijuana for medical purposes.

The suspect should be given a warning and told why possessing the marijuana plant is unlawful, Pol Lt Gen Yanyong said.

As the law is intended to suppress the use of cannabis as a narcotic drug, he suggested that those who do not intend to use the plant for this purpose should be warned rather than subjected to immediate legal action.

Marijuana for medical purposes

As a result of the arrests, Pol Col Direkrit Panrueansaen, chief of Ubonrat police in Khon Kaen, visited the women at their homes. He explained the law to them and their families.

Earlier this week, police investigators at Ubonrat station detained Nang Mahasena, 72, and Bunseng Singhoen, 48, for growing a cannabis plant at their respective homes.

Before being released on bail, they were charged with possessing a Type 5 narcotic (marijuana) without permission.

A video of the arrest has since gone viral on Thai Social Media with users slamming the police for their ignorance in enforcing the law.

In January Thailand’s narcotics board said it would remove cannabis from its drugs list, paving the way for households to grow the plant.

Anutin Charnvirakul, the Health Minister, told reporters that citizens can now grow cannabis plants at home after notifying their local government. However, marijuana cannot be used for commercial purposes without further licensing.