Thailand Sees an Explosion of Weed Vendors

Police in Thailand are being urged to strictly enforce the law on weed vendors in a bid to curb marijuana abuse in public and in schools.

Thailand’s Health Minister yesterday expressed his concerns following the delisting of cannabis from the country’s narcotics list on June 9.

The delisting of cannabis was done to benefit the medical industry, but weed has been wrongly used for recreational purposes, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the Bangkok Post.

He said weed vendors have been caught selling pre-rolled joints despite the law clearly stipulating that weed cannot be smoked in public.

As far as regulations are concerned, law enforcement should ensure people follow the law and control the wrong use of marijuana.

“If the laws are strictly enforced, people will become more vigilant,” he said.

Smoking weed near schools

In response to a question about children smoking cannabis near schools, he responded that it is definitely wrong. The Ministries of Public Health and Education have clearly stated that children are not permitted to use cannabis or to bring it to school, he said.

A decriminalization committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and legal specialist Wissanu Krea-ngam was tasked with deliberating the issue with relevant agencies.

The House committee is currently reviewing the Cannabis and Hemp Act, which is expected to be completed by the end of next month. Under the act, cannabis use and production will be further regulated, including who can buy it and what regulations producers must follow.

New cannabis strain registered

Meanwhile, Chulalongkorn University’s Drug Dependence Research Centre has registered a cannabis strain developed under the name “Phet Chompoo” with the Agriculture Department. For medical purposes, the center and ONCB created a strain over a three-year period.

Following the approval of the registration, Chitlada Areesantichai, the center’s director and deputy dean, said they will be able to extract cannabis for various medical purposes.

To continue the research and turn knowledge into action, the Agriculture Department has expressed interest in signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the university.

In addition to its narcotics research history, the center is a licensed World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Drug Dependence.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the legalization of cannabis and hemp on June 9, nearly one million electronic certificates have been issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As a result of overwhelming demand, the FDA created another website, https://plookganjaweb.fda.moph.go.th, for the same purpose.

After registering with the FDA, people can grow and use cannabis and hemp for improving their own health, preparing traditional medicines, and for commercial and industrial purposes.