A committee tasked with controlling illegal drugs has won a majority vote to have cannabis and hemp reclassified as narcotics, and the listing will take effect on Jan 1 of next year, according to Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Public Health.
Dr Surachoke, who chaired Friday's meeting, said all the committee members agreed on the principle that cannabis should be used for the purposes of medical treatment only, not for recreational use. However, there were disagreements on certain points.
A majority vote was finally reached to put cannabis and hemp back on the narcotics list. He said the committee would submit its report to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board for consideration next week.
The resolution stated that cannabis and hemp are to be regarded as narcotic plants except for their branches, roots and seeds. Cannabis buds and any materials containing more than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) will also be classified as narcotics.
"If the Office of the Narcotic Control Board agrees with our conclusion, the next step will be for the Food and Drug Administration to amend any cannabis-related laws and set up criteria for how the plants can be used.
"All related laws should be amended before Jan 1. That is the timeframe that we are expecting for this law to take effect," Dr Surachoke said.
Panthep Puapongpan, who voted against the listing, said he disagreed with the decision but declined to elaborate on his reasons.
A number of civic groups have expressed their opposition to the ministry's attempts to put cannabis back on the narcotics list.