The government's backtracking from its plan to relist cannabis as a narcotic drug is a step in the right direction. The reversal was ordered by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday, just days before a meeting of the Narcotics Control Board (NCB).
Cannabis advocates praised the decision, ending a 10-day protest by advocacy group Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future near Government House. While it has momentum, the advocacy group must work hard to find scientific evidence to justify its pro-cannabis stance and even harder to fight the stigma surrounding this medicinal plant.
Doctors and advocates insist the use of cannabis in medical treatment will spare costly imports of epilepsy, insomnia and cancer drugs, to name just three.
Yet Prime Minister Srettha has shown little, if any, appreciation for the plant from the beginning, as he continued to label it a narcotic "to protect society". This statement raised eyebrows as it came at a time when several countries worldwide have also started to ease their bans on the plant.
Indeed, Mr Srettha's U-turn seems more like a bid to save the coalition from breaking up following reports the PM called for a meeting with Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Somsak Thepsutin who is the public health minister to settle their conflict on the relisting.
Decriminalising cannabis has been a flagship Bhumjaithai Party pledge since 2019, and in 2022 Thailand became one of the first countries in Asia to achieve that goal. But the rush to make good on that promise saw the plant delisted without appropriate laws in place to govern it, and a backlash followed as the number of weed shops rose sharply, with some opening steps away from school gates.
Therefore, further studies on cannabis are crucial as the House of Representatives dusts off the bill, forwarded previously by the Bhumjaithai Party. The bill has already passed the first reading for deliberation, together with a version prepared by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) during the tenure of then-health minister Cholnan Srikaew.
Parliament should ensure that a House panel scrutinising the Cannabis and Hemp Control Bill has spaces reserved for people with deep knowledge of this plant. This is an issue over which society cannot afford to see time wasted filibustering.
Indeed, the Cannabis and Hemp Control Bill vetted by lawmakers in the previous government was shot down in its second reading in parliament early this year. This bill contains a raft of safeguard measures, such as zoning law, as well as much stronger legal penalties for misuse.
As we wait for the legislation, officials should not pin all their hopes on the cannabis act being passed.
Agencies such as the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) under the Ministry of Public Health should be more proactive in building community-based monitoring systems in communities where cannabis shops are located near schools.
These systems should include residents, schools, parents and even cannabis shops themselves to promote responsible use as well as educate people about the health benefits.
That said, Public Health Minister Somsak should collaborate in creating guardrails and a monitoring system instead of devoting his time to recriminalising it.
Yet it seems Mr Somsak refuses to open his mind to cannabis. After emerging from the meeting with the PM, he told reporters the Health Ministry would not change its stance and would continue only to accept the use of cannabis for medical treatment and economic development.
This is not productive at all. He must clarify what he meant by "economic development" and ensure that no more opportunities will be lost for this plant. Instead of making vague statements, the minister should order officials to do their job of promoting responsible use and imposing effective monitoring processes.
It would do the country's traditional medical science great service if Mr Somsak talked seriously with the Traditional Medicine Department and learned more about this herb and its historical use. He should also encourage the experts to try different treatment formulas and establish knowledge based on local wisdom.
To kill the stigma, the minister should secure a budget for cannabis research to develop or improve the best strains. If successful, this will help contribute to economic development.
Regulated recreational use, with protection measures for vulnerable groups, like labelling for cannabis products and zoning, must be accepted. Those who breach regulations must face severe penalties. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha must also ensure that a strong, comprehensive bill on cannabis control comes into place sooner rather than later.