Cannabis bill to go before parliament

A bill on cannabis and hemp will on Monday be proposed to the House, says the spokesman of a House committee vetting it.

Panthep Phuapongpan, a vocal supporter of cannabis-based medicine and spokesman of the committee, said yesterday the bill will be sent to parliament today with a decision on whether to accept the bill likely before Sept 19.

Mr Panthep said the committee has done its duty and the rest is up to the MPs and senators who will review it. The House committee had gathered key points from three laws to go into the Cannabis and Hemp Bill, as it is known: the Tobacco Product Control Act, Alcoholic Beverage Control Act and Kratom Plant Act.

The bill will let households grow up to 15 cannabis plants for domestic use, households farm cannabis for use of the roots, trunk and fibre, within an area not exceeding 15 rai, and hospitals to grow cannabis for medication listed in Herbal Product Act.

Mr Panthep said even though the legal control of cannabis is still flawed, recent information indicates the number of cannabis-related patients has dropped since cannabis was legalised on June 9. "It shows that people are informed of the cannabis awareness campaign and that cannabis use is under control. We also have more measures than we had when the Kratom Plant Bill was halted for one year," said Mr Panthep.

Meanwhile, a cannabis fair will return to Buri Ram in November. Chidchanok Chidchob, the daughter of former politician Newin Chidchob, and president of the Phan Buri Ram Community Enterprise, said the fair at the Chang International Circuit in Muang district will showcase technologies for growing plants.