at Baan Phra Athit
Panthep Puaphongphan
to the case Democratic Party and Pheu Thai PartyY made a press conference on 14 September 2022, demanding that the Commissioner withdraw the Cannabis Act, Hemp Act B.E.…..from the House of Representatives. and asked the Ministry of Health to review the announcement requiring marijuana to be returned as a drug once more. Until finally, the majority of members of the House of Representatives passed a resolution to withdraw from the agenda of the session of the House of Representatives. with a total of 346 voters, agreeing to withdraw the draft Cannabis Act, hemp Out of the meeting agenda 198 people, 136 disagree, 12 abstain
The results of the voting are as follows:
Members of the House of Representatives deem it appropriate for the Commission to A total of 198 people were withdrawn, in descending order: Pheu Thai Party 93 people, Phalang Pracharath Party 47 people, Democrat Party 29 people, Seri Ruam Thai Party 9 people, Economic Thai Party 7 people, Prachachat Party 6 people. , Pheu Chart Party 2 people, New Economics Party 1 person, Ruam Phalang Party 1 person, Puang Chon Thai Party 1 person, Kao Kao Kao Party 1 person
Members of the House of Representatives disagreed that the Commissioner withdrew a total of 136 people, in descending order as follows: Bhumjaithai Party 59 people, Kaew Klai Party 41 people, Chart Thai Pattana party 8 people, Puea Thai party 7 people, Phalang Pracharath party 3 people, New Economic Party 4 people, local Thai party 3 people, Economic Thai party 3 people, Democrat Party 2 people, Pheu Chart Party 2 people, Chart Pattana Party 1 person, Prachaphiwat Party 1 person, Palangtham Mai Party 1 person
In conclusion, the majority of the House of Representatives approved the withdrawal of the Marijuana, Hemp Act, B.E.
However, it is seen that the allegations are unfair to the Commission. which need to be clarified as follows
firstly The fact that marijuana was removed from the drug list Changes have begun under Article 29 of the Narcotics Code. Marijuana is no longer listed as a Category 5 drug, according to a joint resolution of the Parliament on June 22, 2021. By that resolution, there was no request for an amendment from even members of the Democratic Party’s House of Representatives. single And later, on August 24, 2021, the National Assembly voted unanimously to approve the revised drug code for the third term with 467 votes without any members of the House of Representatives, including opposition, government, senators. including the Pracharath Party The Democrat Party and the Pheu Thai Party also voted once morest one person.
It is reiterated that if members of Congress do not resolve to amend marijuana from Article 29 of the Drug Code as of June 22, 2021, marijuana will surely remain a drug until now.
secondly In order to comply with the guidelines of the Narcotics Code approved by members of the Parliament who are representatives of the Thai people. It also emerges from research that the likelihood of marijuana addiction is greater than that of alcohol and cigarette addiction. Therefore, there should not be any deprivation of rights or penalties as drugs anymore.
The Narcotics Control Board (which is chaired by the Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, Deputy Prime Minister) has voted to get marijuana out of drugs. However, the remaining extracts with tetrahydrocannabinol or THC content of more than 0.2 percent by weight are still drugs. as recommended by the Narcotics Control Board The Minister of Public Health therefore signed the announcement on February 8, 2022, effective from June 9, 2022.
Third A draft of the Cannabis Act, Cannabis B.E.…. has been proposed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Mr. Chuan Leekpai) since January 27, 2022, but before the first session to adopt the principles, it was on the 8th day. June 2022, just one day before the release date of marijuana. which the delay in considering the aforementioned agenda The House of Representatives is foreseeable in creating a legal vacuum in marijuana control.
The result of the resolution on June 8, 2022, it appears that a majority in the House of Representatives has approved the law, 373 votes to seven, and the majority in favor of the principle is a majority, including members of the House of Representatives. The majority of the Democratic Party, Pheu Thai Party and Palang Pracharath Party
Fourth The government does not have a policy of “postponing” the release of marijuana. Because of the fact that doctors in the government system still have a small proportion of cannabis use. That compares with more than half of patients who illegally use underground marijuana for medical purposes.
These patients are also being threatened, arrested or extorted because marijuana is still a drug. They are also at risk of toxins, pesticides and exploitation for the quality and price of cannabis oil. Therefore, it is necessary to move forward without delaying the unlocking to protect the benefit of patients. While marijuana violence has a lower chance of addiction than alcohol and cigarettes, other laws can be used to help temporarily control it.
Even the general public sees it as a legal vacuum of marijuana. But in fact, governments have taken a number of temporary measures by applying existing laws to mitigate social impacts. As a result, the situation returned to control. And it continues to meet its objectives to protect patients who use medical marijuana illegally.
The evidence appeared in the news on September 15, 2022, Dr. Kitti Suwannarak Shield The director of the Institute of Medical Marijuana reported that From collecting reports of patients experiencing adverse reactions or acute intoxication from cannabis use. Emergency rooms were provided from June to August 29, 2022 in 10 hospitals under the Medical Department, 79 government hospitals. Only 63 people from across the country were using recreational marijuana, or an average of 1-2 per day. Only people per day from all over the country and the trend is down. would show that the use of various measures Both legal and informational can deal with such situations.
But issuing temporary measures and educating people is still not comprehensive. Not as comprehensive as the draft Cannabis Act, Hemp B.E.….. at the Extraordinary Commission Therefore, it is necessary to expedite consideration in order to provide as much control as possible to protect the people as quickly as possible. And made the Commission to devote to meeting and expediting the consideration of this law over the past 3 months.
Fifth When the Democratic Party, Pheu Thai Party and Palang Pracharath Party agreed on the agenda to adopt the Cannabis, Cannabis Act B.E. on June 8, 2022, there were only 45 such laws. Section only But when the amendments were made until entering the House of Representatives on September 14, 2022, the provisions were increased to 95 sections, or more than 50 sections, or more than twice the original number, and to increase the provisions. “In the protection of the people” clearly better than the main agenda on June 8, 2022, by applying the law on alcohol control, tobacco control and kratom to be the provision of marijuana to be controlled no less than liquor, tobacco and Kratom
A clear example of public protection is a ban on sales to young people under 20 years of age, pregnant women, lactating women. Control of places where sales are prohibited, such as temples, schools, religious places, etc., sales methods are regulated, such as hawking and electronic sales are prohibited. Do not sell through vending machines including prohibiting smoking in public places or any other places as announced by the Minister, etc.
Therefore, the House of Representatives with a majority vote to withdraw the law back. would make it unable to protect the people according to the provisions of the Marijuana Act, Hemp B.E.….that the Commissioner has prepared This is definitely a loss of opportunity to protect society better than the present.
that the Democratic Party and Pheu Thai Party There is a proposal in the House of Representatives to bring marijuana back as a drug in the meantime. claiming that lax laws are unfair to the Commission because the draft amendments to the law of the Commission The incident contained more control measures than the one that the Democratic Party, Pheu Thai Party, voted in favor of the principle on June 8, 2022, while it was claimed that the Democrats did not approve of recreational use of marijuana. but contradicted the first meeting It has emerged that the Democratic Party committee has proposed the possibility of a full moon cannabis party in a controlled area.
and if you do not agree with any section The committee has representatives from both the Pracharat Party. The Democrat Party, Pheu Thai Party, may be able to propose amendments in the committee. If the majority of the committee agrees, it comes out as a section according to the draft of the committee. But if the committee from any party disagrees with the majority of the committee It can also immediately reserve an amendment proposing amendments to the resolution of the House of Representatives.
sixth The Extraordinary Commissioner considered the Marijuana, Hemp Act, B.E. 25, with a total of 25 members of the government and opposition, but the number of advisers increased to 41, which was more than the commissioners. There is also an open book from various sectors. In addition, both the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were invited to exchange and express opinions. Therefore, it is already a comprehensive hearing.
Therefore, it is unfortunate that the majority of members of the House of Representatives had to withdraw the entire draft. Instead of using the method of hearing the opinions of the committee first and then voting later.
Seventh Members of the House of Representatives claimed that the draft was withdrawn. without even listening to the reasons for considering that section It was, in fact, a “delay” because all the articles of the House of Representatives who disagreed with the commissioners debated that day had all the amendments reserved.
So if there is a social concern regarding the legal vacuum and is sincere in accelerating law enforcement to protect society in accordance with the beliefs of their own political parties Members of the House of Representatives are able to vote on any new amendment in which the amendment is already reserved. But if no amendment is reserved, it will show the shortcomings of that political party in the commissioner’s level. Unfortunately, a majority of the House of Representatives opted for a delay. This wastes people the opportunity to have legal marijuana control. Hemp replaced it during this vacuum period.
Eighth The Pheu Thai Party and the Democrats who agreed to withdraw the said bill from the House of Representatives. claiming to be brought back to be a drug in spite of That besides there are patients who use marijuana illegally are no longer protected. It also criminalizes more than 1 million people who are registered to cultivate cannabis. and had to destroy their own marijuana The proposal to bring it back to drugs is therefore irresponsible for its impact on the public on all sides. and believes that it cannot force the Minister of Health to sign such an unscrupulous and irresponsible declaration.
ninth But if members of the House of Representatives from the Pheu Thai Party The Democratic Party still sees cannabis as a real drug, ignoring patients who use marijuana underground or who have already grown marijuana. Pheu Thai and Democrats can come together to propose an amendment to the Drug Code and bring marijuana back as a drug immediately if it is believed to be the people’s will.
Tenth, the withdrawal of the Cannabis Act, Hemp Act B.E.… from the House of Representatives This made the vacuum situation necessary to stretch out longer. not beneficial to the public The person in charge is the House of Representatives.
However, the Commission still sees the importance of expediting the law to close the legal vacuum as quickly as possible. Despite a majority of the House of Representatives resolution to withdraw the agenda, the situation prolonged the vacuum. But the Commission will have an extraordinary committee meeting to consider the Cannabis Act, Cannabis B.E.
therefore learned to know
Mr. Panthep Puaphongphan
Spokesperson and Commissioner
The Extraordinary Committee to consider the draft of the Cannabis Act, Hemp B.E.
House of Representatives
September 15, 2022
