More than 800 doctors from Ramathibodi Hospital have called for the suspension of the decriminalisation of cannabis until there are controls to protect the young.

Some 851 doctors, lecturers and alumni of the faculty of medicine Ramathibodi Hospital at Mahidol University had issued a statement seeking the immediate suspension of cannabis decriminalisation.

According to a statement, cannabis decriminalisation without adequate measures for safe use led to the widespread recreational use of the drug by young people, amid evidence that cannabis has negative effects on the bodies and brains of the young.

The situation was different from the government’s intention to increase people’s access to the medical use of cannabis.

The doctors urged the government to immediately suspend the policy until laws were in place to protect young people from cannabis abuse and ensure proper use of cannabis, to minimise its impact on the general public.