A majority of people say they are worried about the consequences of removing marijuana from the narcotics list, according to a survey by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.
The poll was conducted online on June 20-23 on 2,390 people throughout the country to sound out their opinions on news reports about unfavourable side effects of marijuana being used for recreational purposes after it was removed from the narcotics list on June 9.
Asked whether they were worried by the news, a majority, 70.63%, said "yes" - 37.78% fairly worried and 32.85% very worried. On the other side, 16.27% said they were slightly worried and 13.10% weren't worried at all.
Asked to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of marijuana being removed from the narcotics list, 52.76% said there are more cons than pros; 30,17% said the pros and cons are equal; and 17.07% said there are more pros than cons.
Asked to pick from a list of possible advantages, with respondents allowed to choose more than one answer, 74.96% said marijuana can be used for medical purposes, 46.46% said the plant can add economic value and 45.38% said it may reduce the cost of some treatments.
Asked what concerned them about the legalisation, 84.58% said people still lack knowledge on appropriate uses of the plant; 82.16% said marijuana would become more accessible to children and youths who may want to try it; and 73.73% said there are still no clear practical guidelines or laws about using marijuana.
Asked to prioritise suggestions about how marijuana should be regulated, 88.38% said youths should not be allowed to use it and all educational institutes should be free of marijuana; 82.26% said there should be precautions against its use, especially in food; and 81.67% said advertisements of marijuana-based products should be restricted.
Asked whether the removal of marijuana from the narcotics list had anything to do with politics, 60.54% said "yes, definitely"; 27.99% said "yes, maybe"; 9.53% said "probably not"; and 1.94% said "definitely not".