Cannabis use for recreational purposes should be totally banned, said the director of the Centre for Addiction Studies.

Dr Rasmon Kalayasiri spoke in support of Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew's idea to amend the draft bill on cannabis and hemp proposed by his predecessor Anutin Charnvirakul. The bill was voted down by the past House of Representatives.

Dr Rasmon said she supported Dr Cholnan's idea that cannabis and hemp can be used for medical and health purposes only. The draft would ban them from being used for recreation, would exclude a proposal to permit the growth of 15 cannabis plants per household, and to reinstate flowering parts of cannabis with a high THC content on the list of narcotics.

She said medical personnel have no objection to using cannabis for medical purposes, but they have found more people becoming sick from using cannabis for recreation, especially children.

Studies conducted between 2019-2022 showed the use of cannabis among youths aged 18-19 increased tenfold from 0.9% to 9.7%, although receational use is prohibited by the law. This indicated the existing law is ineffective, she said.

Because of this, there should be a law to specifically control use of cannabis and hemp and to completely ban them from being used for recreation, Dr Rasmon said.