International
Thailand takes a step back on cannabis legalization
The House of Representatives backtracked on the legalization of cannabis, with the Pheu Thai, Democrat and Phalang Pracharath parties voting in favor. The regulation that legalized cannabis in Thailand thus returns to the drafting committee for amendments, with the vote being strongly criticized by the Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul.
Thailand is back in the spotlight, after several Thai parliamentarians forced the suspension of the bill that regulated the use of cannabis.
The legislators of the Chamber of Deputies held a vote, with the result of 198 votes in favor against 136 against, aimed at suspending the bill that legalized cannabis in June, sending it back to the drafting committee for review. The cannabis and hemp bill can now be reconsidered in November.
Parties are divided over legislation
Despite the Health Minister claiming that this is just an attempt to create instability, parliamentarians justified the lead with the need for sufficient provisions to prevent the misuse of cannabis in recreational contexts. After the vote in the House of Representatives, the Minister of Health stated that the disapproval of the vote by the Pheu Thai, Democrat and Phalang Pracharath parties was intended to delay the implementation of the legislation.
This delay may mean that the process is not completed in the current legislature, which ends in 2023. The submission of legislation to the drafting committee was carried out by the largest opposition party, Pheu Thai, together with the Democratic party, which integrates the ruling coalition and the Phalang Pracharath party.
These parties essentially argue that “the bill does not control cannabis, but even promotes it, leaving room for its use to go from just medical to extremely recreational”, told the Bangkok Post Sutin Klangsang, Pheu Thai MP. The arguments also extend to the proliferation of shops and cafes selling cannabis products in Bangkok and other cities, three months after the country became the first in Asia to decriminalize cannabis.
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[Disclaimer: Please note that this text was originally written in Portuguese and is translated into English and other languages using an automatic translator. Some words may differ from the original and typos or errors may occur in other languages.]____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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I am one of the directors of CannaReporter, which I founded together with Laura Ramos. I am from the unique Island of Madeira, where I currently reside. While I was in Lisbon at FCUL studying Physical Engineering, I became involved in the national hemp and cannabis scene and participated in several associations, some of which I am still a member of. I follow the global industry and especially legislative advances regarding the different uses of cannabis.
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Thai government intensionally allow themselves & communist military Neightbor to operate Blackmarket.they are NOT going for pharmaceutical as they promised when they came for consulting in 2019.
the people there have to stop the black market operation and allow real research to help patients instead of allowing everyone to sell to tourists.