“NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY”
Professor Paisan Limstit, a very vocal figure in criticizing the decriminalization of marijuana, from the Health Laws and Ethics Center at Thammasat University, believes that the uncontrolled sale and consumption of marijuana in Thailand must stop.
According to him, removing marijuana from the list of narcotics is directly responsible for the increasing health problems, crime and addiction that exist in his country, and gives Thailand’s tourism industry a bad reputation, as well as generating limited economic benefits.
“In fact, this has a negative impact on the country,” he said.
According to his calculations, the number of marijuana users in Thailand has increased tenfold since changes to the law were passed by the previous government and this could increase the risk of other types of drug abuse. According to the Center for Addiction Studies, marijuana users in 2022 will reach 11.1 million.
“When marijuana was removed from the list of narcotics, that was just the tip of the iceberg. We are still unable to see the problem of drug use as a whole,” he explained.
He argued that to curb marijuana use and increase state revenues, the government could encourage the production of medical pharmaceutical products rather than marijuana tourism as the best legal measure.
But a major player in the medical marijuana industry says otherwise. According to him, ignoring the difference between marijuana for recreational consumption and medical use could be a risky move.
Noah Levit Ades is Director of Operations for Cannabis at Thonburi Healthcare Group, Thailand’s first cannabis facility. These facilities were established by hospitals for their own use and research purposes.
In this facility, they cultivate high-end medical marijuana for end-of-life care, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This is “because there is evidence that cannabis can be used and helps in such conditions,” he explained.
