On May 11th, 2024, Mr While in Kanchanaburi, the Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, spoke out against the rumours that the proposed change to marijuana as an illegal drug could result in internal discord between the government parties.
Thai national media reported that Srettha claimed he hadn’t communicated with Mr Anutin Charnvirakul, the Interior Minister, and denied any conflict of interest caused by his actions. According to Srettha, it was important for the Thai people to come first and allow all parties to express their views.
According to Srettha, if cannabis is considered an illegal drug, the details must be examined by relevant agencies to ensure medical and health use. Srettha mentioned that Somsak Thepsuthin, the Minister of Public Health in Thailand, would give the public additional information.
On X, Srettha previously shared heartfelt messages of appreciation with Anutin, who had expressed his approval of protesters’ right to protest peacefully. According to Srettha, there was no possibility of any internal friction between the coalition government parties.
Furthermore, Srettha reportedly acknowledged that he had spoken to Somsak to review previous reports, as the parliament had given the green light for the legalization of marijuana.
After his earlier strong stance of making cannabis an illegal substance, Srettha appeared to be taking a step back and stated that Somsak and the Department of Public Health would meet with all parties involved, evaluate scientific and medical evidence, assess marijuana, and ultimately decide on any changes as they are in line with the Thai people’s wishes.
Moreover, he declared that if the Public Health Minister were to make any changes to cannabis, then ‘I would leave no further official announcements or statements at this stage.’
The backward move is not unexpected given that Thai pro-cannabis activists have committed to protesting in the streets and taking aggressive legal measures if the government decides to make cannabis illegal again, with online support showing strong support for these activists.
According to Srettha, the change should not contradict other parties’ interests and must be prioritized over the Thai people’s. She stressed this point.
In the meantime, on May 12th, Thai national media toured a community enterprise marijuana plantation in Mueang, Nakhon Ratchasima, and found that more than 90% of the area was unoccupied.
Mr. According to Montree Yiamsungnoenof the Korat Cannabis Lovers Community Enterprise Network, over 1.1 million individuals have registered to acquire the right to possess and cultivate marijuana after the decriminalization of cannabis.
Montree reported that the Community Enterprise Network, consisting of 14,000 individuals in Thailand and having previously signed an MOU with the public sector for legal cannabis cultivation, was significantly impacted by the illegalization of marijuana.
Despite an initial estimate of over 100,000 baht per kilogram, Montree noted that the current price for cannabis inflorescences is only around $2.5 lakh.
Due to financial difficulties, the Community Enterprise Network had to abandon 90% of the area, as agricultural products could not be sold in the market. Montree requested that the government make reparations for the harm caused by the decriminalization of cannabis.
Montree was a strong advocate for the proposal to transform cannabis into an illegal drug because the number of cannabis vendors in the market would decrease significantly, except for specific government-licensed farms like his, and the overall market price would slowly recover. This is why he supported the proposed change. The medical and international markets required government marketing support, as stated by Montree.
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