Weed shop near school suspended

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) has suspended the licence of a cannabis shop near a well-known school on Silom Road for a month.

The dispensary near the prestigious all-girls St Joseph Convent School came under fire because of its location last week after operating there for six months.

According to DTAM's director-general, Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, the shop was suspended as its owner failed to submit monthly reports on cannabis usage and storage to the DTAM's registrar.

Dr Thongchai said there is currently no specific regulation on the location of cannabis shops, but cabinet will address the issue if and when the Cannabis and Hemp Act is passed by parliament.

However, the department will inspect cannabis shops more thoroughly before issuing them licences in the future, he added.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Cannabis Future Network said on its Facebook page on Tuesday that it wants to hold a pro-cannabis event sometime after the new government is established.

The move came after the Move Forward Party (MFP) and the seven alliance members signed a pact outlining their working agenda on Monday.

One of the key items on their agenda is the reinstatement of cannabis as a narcotic drug.

The network said in its article that it disagreed with the move and saw the proposal as the MFP waging a political game.

The group said cannabis-based medicines are inexpensive and have helped many families save on costly, mainstream medical treatments, the group said.

Prasitchai Nunual, the network leader, also attacked the MFP for "hypocrisy", saying party leader Pita Limjaroenrat once supported the decriminalisation of cannabis only to make a complete about-turn on the policy when the party thought it could gain politically from doing so.

He added the MFP must explain how it intends to make good on its promise that if and when re-criminalisation takes effect, the cannabis licence holders would not be affected.