Thailand’s new prime minister has vowed to restrict the use of marijuana for medical purposes after thousands of weed shops opened across the country since the nation became the first in Asia to decriminalise cannabis a year ago.

The government will seek to “rectify” its cannabis policy and rampant sprouting of dispensaries that freely sell the drug within a six-month time frame, Srettha Thavisin said in an interview on Wednesday in New York.

“The law will need to be rewritten,” Srettha said. “It needs to be rectified. We can have that regulated for medical use only,” he said, adding that there cannot be a middle ground for recreational use.

While Srettha said there was a broad agreement among the 11-party coalition he heads about the need to restrict cannabis use, how exactly his administration will proceed remains unclear.

Srettha’s Pheu Thai Party promoted a hardline anti-drug campaign ahead of the May election and vowed to undo the landmark policy to decriminalise cannabis. It is now in a coalition with Bhumjaithai Party led by Anutin Charnvirakul, who has vowed to press ahead with a plan to reintroduce a cannabis bill in parliament that seeks tighter monitoring of the industry but opposes classifying the plant as a drug again.

An ongoing regulatory vacuum, following the move to declassify marijuana as a narcotic, has led to a mushrooming of nearly 6,000 dispensaries all over the country. They sell everything from cannabis buds to oil extracts containing less than 0.2 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol – the psychoactive compound that gives users a “high” sensation.

Thai farmers are also allowed to freely grow cannabis after registering with the nation’s Food and Drug Administration. Local dispensary owners have also complained about unbridled imports and depressing prices.

Srettha’s government has vowed to “eradicate” drugs from Thai society, with the prime minister saying he will “decisively reduce” the menace within a year while presiding over an event to destroy drugs that were confiscated by authorities earlier this week.

Thailand is considered the main conduit for drug trafficking along Southeast Asia’s vast Mekong river valley, with enforcement agencies perceived to often turn a blind eye. Southeast Asia’s organised crime economy, including the illicit trade in drugs and wildlife, was worth an estimated US$130 billion in 2019, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes.

“The problem of drug has been widespread lately, especially in the northeastern and northern parts of Thailand,” Srettha said. “And we don’t need another issue added on top of that.”

Source : SCMP

The post Thailand Cannabis Policy: PM Srettha Thavisin Aims to ‘Rectify’ Law Within 6 Months to Ensure Medical Use Only appeared first on Policy Print.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has signed a bill that expressly prohibits sober living facilities from allowing residents to possess or use medical marijuana, even if the patient is certified by a doctor to legally use cannabis therapeutically in accordance with state law. All other doctor-prescribed pharmaceutical medications may be permitted, however.

The governor signed the legislation, SB 210, on Tuesday—and he separately gave final approval to a hemp regulations measure that bans the sale of legal smokeless hemp products to people under 21.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has signed a bill that expressly prohibits sober living facilities from allowing residents to possess or use medical marijuana, even if the patient is certified by a doctor to legally use cannabis therapeutically in accordance with state law. All other doctor-prescribed pharmaceutical medications may be permitted, however.

The governor signed the legislation, SB 210, on Tuesday—and he separately gave final approval to a hemp regulations measure that bans the sale of legal smokeless hemp products to people under 21.

Under the newly enacted SB 210, applicants who are seeking licensing to operate recovery residences under the state Department of Children and Families will need to affirm that they do not permit the use of cannabis, which “includes marijuana that has been certified by a qualified physician for medical use.”

But residents may continue to use other pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by doctors, so the law explicitly singles out medical marijuana.

In order to receive certification, a prospective recovery residence will need to provide documentation, including a policy and procedures manual. The new law will amend that requirement to specifically mandate that the manual includes a prohibition on marijuana, regardless of a person’s status as a medical cannabis patient.

DeSantis also signed SB 1676, a bill that revises hemp regulations in the state and includes a new provision that bars the sale of smokeless hemp products such as “snuff, chewing gum, and other smokeless products” to people under 21. The law previously only set the age restriction on smokable hemp items.

The governor further vetoed two criminal justice reform bills that aren’t specifically about cannabis. They would have revised expungements and sentencing statutes.

Source: Marijuana Moment

The post DeSantis Signs Bill Prohibiting Medical Marijuana at Florida Recovery Residences Even if Recommended by Doctor appeared first on Policy Print.