National –
A total of 1,363 medical doctors and staff on Monday, September 19th, have signed their names to demand the Ministry of Health to immediately shut down the liberalization of marijuana use in Thailand.
The petition was signed following the Public Health Ministry’s announcement of decriminalizing cannabis and hemp from the Category 5 of narcotic drugs but no policy or law enforcement guidelines implemented to control the use of marijuana comprehensively and safely, making Thailand what they call the most free marijuana country in the world for more than 3 months.
The statement reads: “This results in the widespread use of recreational marijuana in the community, leading to free access to cannabis use by children, teenagers, and vulnerable groups, which absolutely goes against the purposes for the cannabis legalization as claimed by the government.”
“In addition, it was scientifically proved that the use of marijuana without medical indications could cause a significant impact on the body and brain development of children and adolescents. The current situation of cannabis liberalization is, therefore, a real threat to the public health system both in the short and long term.”
The statement also supported the proposals on the cannabis policy previously drafted by the Medical Council, the Medical Association of Thailand, and Royal Colleges on September 5th as well which was urging the government to immediately shut down the liberalization of marijuana without waiting for the enactment of the Cannabis and Hemp Act as the liberalization will continue to damage the people’s living and the country as a whole, according to them.
TPN notes that although the draft laws are not in place yet and are being argued over by politicians, there have been temporary laws and regulations passed such as banning the sale and use of cannabis to those under twenty, banning the use at schools and government offices, regulating that if cannabis is used as ingredients in food or drink it must be clearly labeled, banning smoking in public under nuisance smoking regulations, and more.
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