Free of medical professionals, teachers, and civil organisations have released one more open letter to specific their opposition to the government’s choice to legalise hashish. This marks their seventh open letter on the matter, urging the general public to vote for political events that don’t assist the removal of hashish from the record of narcotics, as properly as its promotion as a money crop.
According to the contents of the open letter, there has been a noticeable improve in accidents and incidents of opposed reactions concerning mental and physical health since the consumption of cannabis was liberalised final year. The consumption and commerce of this controversial plant have been successfully legalised on June 9 of the previous yr, when the Bhumjaithai Party succeeded in having cannabis removed from the record of Type 5 narcotics. Consequently, this move led to the permission of usage for most parts of the plant, exempting portions of the plant containing greater than zero.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by weight.
The authors of the open letter highlight that the medical use of hashish has been allowed since 2019 despite the plant’s itemizing as a narcotic. However, the elimination of cannabis from the listing of Type 5 narcotics has made the plant and its derivatives extra easily accessible to the general public. The letter emphasises that, given the dearth of a legal framework to regulate and monitor the manufacturing and consumption of hashish, recreational use has inevitably surged.
Furthermore, the letter signifies that if the Bhumjaithai Party had been genuinely interested in promoting hashish as a money crop, its legalisation process ought to have been overseen by the Ministry of Commerce or the Ministry of Industry. Instead, the Ministry of Public Health finds itself in a perceived paradoxical position, acting as a promoter of hashish quite than a proper regulatory authority.
The open letter concludes with a call for the basic public to re-evaluate their help for political events that endorse cannabis legalisation within the upcoming General Election on May 14. Accompanying the letter is a list of signatures from medical staff, lecturers from various fields, and civil employees who advocate for the re-enforcement of hashish restrictions.
Prominent names amongst the signatories embrace former senior Health Ministry official Chatree Banchuen, former Central Narcotics Control Office chief Niyom Termsrisuk, and International Narcotics Control Board adviser Viroj Sumyai..