Thailand may become the second country in Asia, after Israel, to allow medical marijuana, as the process to propose changes to the country’s Drug Act is now officially underway.
This week, the Thai National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which has the power to draft the new regulation, said it is aiming to change the existing 1967 Drug Act and remove marijuana from the Category 5 Narcotics list.
Category five narcotics, which includes mushrooms and the kratom plant, are considered the “tamest” of the illegal substances.
In order to remove ganja from the list, they would need to collect 20 signatures from the members of the House of Representatives, Khaosod reported.
“The discussion with related organizations is pointing to the idea of drafting a new bill to remove marijuana from the list of Category 5 Narcotics,” said Dr. Jet Sirathraanon, the spokesman for the Extraordinary General Assembly of the NLA.
He emphasized that the legal changes would allow for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes only — not for recreational purposes.
Dr. Jet explained that, though three drafts of the proposal has been written, he’s afraid the bill won’t be passed during the current government’s tenure as the election is tentatively scheduled for February next year.
However, the junta could invoke the use of Section 44, which will allow PM Prayuth Chan-ocha to override any laws and regulations, in order to fast-track the legalization of medicinal cannabis.
The government’s movement towards legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes first started on January 6, when the Royal Gazette announced that some cultivation of hemp may be allowed in designated areas for medical research purposes, reported Bangkok Post.
Following that, the National Farmers Council and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau also announced their full support for medical marijuana cultivation and legalization since it would open up new business opportunities for the country’s many farmers.
In May, the draft bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana was approved by the cabinet and forwarded to NLA, The Nation reported.
In July, top health officials announced that medical marijuana will likely be available in Thailand by April 2019.
If so, Thailand would become the second Asian country to allow medical cannabis, after Israel made it available in pharmacies since April this year.
As of press time, however, the use of cannabis remains strictly illegal for all purposes. (Editor’s Note: Take it easy, guys.)
Anyone caught in possession of less than 10kg of the plant could be jailed up to five years and/or fined up to THB100,000 (US$3,000). The punishment for consumption is a THB20,000 (about US$615)fine and/or one-year imprisonment.
To learn more about the medical marijuana legalization movement, check out Coconuts TV’s three-part docuseries for Netflix, on the subject and make sure to puff, puff, pass the good news along:
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