Picture: INN
Deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam spoke to the press yesterday after presiding over a meeting with heads of the Narcotics Control Board.
Wissanu said that the issue of marijuana being put back on the Class 5 narcotics list wasn't even discussed.
Such a matter is not their brief and it was clear this is not going to happen.
What is going to happen is that after an official announcement today in the Government Gazette the issue of what to do about marijuana flowers is being addressed, reported INN.
New rules will mean that this part of the plant that contains by far the major amount of THF will be considered a controlled herb.
From Thursday buds will be controlled herbs.
What this means for the recreational marijuana industry in Thailand remains to be seen. Such an industry undoubtedly already exists.
Wissanu was swift to point out that the trade in the flowers was something of a loophole that the Cannabis Act next year would address but needs to be tackled now.
He stresses that other parts of the marijuana plant like roots, leaves and stems are all 0.2% THC or less so can be grown freely.
File photo: Wikipedia
He said that the meeting with the NCB was held after new rules were proposed by the MoPH in relation to the flowers being declared a controlled herb.
The meeting lasted 3 hours.
ASEAN NOW notes that the latest moves can be seen as making life more awkward for people wishing to trade in marijuana flowers.
Some have seen this as overt acceptance on the streets of recreational use of marijuana, something politicians were keen to keep under wraps.
Until the genie came out of the bottle on June 9th.
The rampant sale of flowers on the streets that has grown ever more prevalent since decriminalization in June has forced the hand of politicians.
However it is unlikely to change much and might be seen more as a typical Thai process of compromise on a thorny issue.
A kind of washing of dirty laundry in public until you come up with a nice clean pair of Thai made socks.
Critics have said that Thailand's marijuana policy was ill thought through which has resulted in these interim teething issues.
A lot is at stake. Big players whose interests will be protected have invested fortunes while many have invested in smaller scale start-ups such as shops and will want to continue trading in flowers to maximise profits.
Further clarity will come with the Cannabis Act due next year though that is unlikely to have many surprises.
Cannabis is set to stay legal and available in Thailand - though watch this space as to what you can and can't do with weed. And watch out for how the RTP interpret the law.
The two have been shown to be divergent in the past.
-- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-11-23
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