Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul appeared optimistic yesterday that a bill on controlling cannabis will be passed into law within the tenure of the current coalition government, while a health advocacy group called for a total ban on using cannabis for recreational purposes.
While a version of the bill was already submitted to the House by the Bhumjaithai Party last September, another draft has been prepared by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) for former health minister Cholnan Srikaew to submit to the House for deliberation along with the Bhumjaithai-advised draft, said Mr Anutin.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday made a U-turn on the government's announced intention to relist cannabis as a narcotic drug. It has been two years since the plant was decriminalised.
Asked how confident he was this time that the cannabis control bill would win enough support from the coalition parties, rather than being rejected in the House as happened in the past government, Mr Anutin said he strongly believed it will succeed for two reasons.
"I believe in the PM's commitment and clear order [to push to pass the bill], and now this coalition has up to 314 votes to cast in support of the cannabis control bill, unlike the past coalition, which only had 253 votes to do so [when the bill was voted down]," he said.
Mr Srettha on May 8 instructed the MoPH to amend its regulations to allow cannabis to be re-classified as a narcotic drug while intending to allow cannabis to be strictly used for medical and health promotion purposes only.
According to the health advocacy group, which is leading a public campaign urging the government to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic, the PM's decision to instead push for a new law to regulate cannabis use will still leave legal loopholes to allow cannabis to be used as a recreational drug.
The group said it has scientific evidence to prove the rising cannabis abuse is associated with an increase in health and mental problems among users.
In a statement yesterday, the group called on the government to consider relisting cannabis as a narcotic first so as to stop it from being abused and then urgently pass a law to allow its use for medical purposes.
The group said it believes this proposal is an ideal solution to all existing conflicts among parties with different opinions on the matter.
