One particular reason that this is significant is that most of the countries which have legalized are in the Americas and Europe. Asia and Africa, by contrast, have been much slower to act. A number of Asian countries have some of the world’s most draconian cannabis laws (see the excerpts below). So hopefully, for the world’s patient population, this will be only the first of many countries on that continent to enact reforms.
Excerpts:
“The Narcotics Control Board of Thailand is pushing forward with a rewritten draft of the country’s drug laws in order to legalize medical marijuana. The proposal will allow medicinal cannabis to be sold over-the-counter for patients with a valid prescription from their doctor.
The draft is currently on its way to the Cabinet for consideration and will ultimately be voted on by the junta-appointed interim parliament. The move is expected to pass without opposition.
‘For medical purposes, [patients] will be able to get the marijuana, but only on a doctor’s orders. They can’t grow it on their own,’ said Narcotics Control Board director Sirinya Sitdhichai on Tuesday.
Thailand’s public health department and the country’s law enforcement agencies have stated no opposition, which is in stark contrast to previous policy in the Asian nation. The old drug policy in Thailand consisted of incarceration and, in some cases, execution.
In 2016, the previous Justice Minister declared the war on drugs to be a failure, which opened the door to a conversation about what to do next. Complete legalization of adult-use cannabis is still an ongoing debate.
This is not Thailand’s first attempt to address cannabis laws, either. In August 2016, the government discussed decriminalization as a possibility, and since that time laws have been changed to allow farmers to grow hemp.”
TRUCE wishes the nearly 70 million people of Thailand a speedy decision and rollout of access to cannabis medicine..!
#MMJ #Thailand #UTpol #UtahNext #TRUCE
See full article – Thailand is Poised to Legalize Medical Cannabis
