The marijuana expo that took place last weekend in Buri Ram proves that there is a rising demand for liberalisation of cannabis in Thailand.
The three-day event -- the first of its kind -- attracted more than 150,000 visitors. Such a high number is rare for these type of events.
Although the expo was held to promote the use of cannabis for medical purposes, it is clear that many visitors also expressed support for legalisation for recreational purposes.
A key supporter of the expo was Newin Chidchob, a co-founder of the Bhumjaithai Party, which is well-known for its policy on cannabis liberalisation. Their pro-cannabis policy helped them secure more than 50 MP seats in the March 24 poll.
The party is adamant that its proposed liberalisation of cannabis must stand and that this policy is a quid pro quo for its partnership in any coalition camp.
Under its proposed policy, every household would be allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants for medical purposes and sales.
The proposal has received an overwhelmingly positive response despite the fact that state agencies adamantly insist that they will only approve medical cannabis.
As the fifth-largest winning party and the potential to be the "kingmaker" in the formation of the next coalition government, Bhumjaithai's message on cannabis liberalisation is what society should pay attention to.
Moreover, the high attendance at the expo and the party's poll success further cements the public's support for positive recreational cannabis policy.
However, a number of incidents recently show the public needs to be better informed about cannabis. Last week, a former beauty queen and holistic natural health advocate based abroad publicly announced her plan to produce Thai sweets laced with marijuana for export.
The Public Health Ministry abruptly issued a warning that producing such sweets was possible elsewhere but not in Thailand as the 2019 Narcotics Act only permits medical cannabis.
In another case, a man in Phrae province, who had grown 40 marijuana plants to treat his grandfather who suffers from fourth stage cancer was arrested despite medical cannabis being legal because he had not registered the plants with the state. His failure to do so landed him in trouble.
The marijuana plant is still classified as Category 5 narcotic which bans individuals from producing or possessing it.
These incidents show better education about the degree of "liberalisation" of cannabis is needed.
Moreover, even with medical cannabis, there is a need for knowledge about how to use it safely.
It is widely known that cannabis is used in Thai traditional medicine but scientific research and studies on the effectiveness of such treatments remain vague.
As demand for recreational cannabis grows, more discussion is needed about regulatory measures if cannabis is allowed for non-medical purposes. Every party should realise that law, and law enforcement, are different stories in this country.
In a seminar on cannabis held on Friday by the Judicial Training Institute, medical and legal experts agreed the country is not ready for recreational cannabis.
The use of the controversial plant should be limited to medical purposes they maintained.
The seminar also said that the marijuana plant can absorb toxins, particularly heavy metals, which often contaminate the soil. As a result, cannabis must be grown under tight control to ensure it is pollution-free.