Anutin confronts the PM over cannabis policy and pledges to vote against criminalisation. He says the data is incomplete and questions the reversal of the stance of top officials since 2022.
The question of cannabis is fast becoming a political headache for Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. This week he was confronted by Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who voiced his opposition to the process presently underway to re-criminalise possession and use of the drug for recreational purposes. At a meeting between the key coalition partner and Mr Srettha, Mr Anutin confirmed he would vote against the criminalisation of cannabis at a forthcoming meeting of the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) to be chaired by the PM. Afterwards, the Deputy Prime Minister also noted ominously that this was currently a ministerial matter that had not reached Cabinet level yet.
Anutin insisted that the data being presented on this issue was incomplete.
Furthermore, he said he was perplexed that the position of officials had reversed from the consensus two years ago.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Anutin Charnvirakul ratcheted up the pressure on Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin over the government’s plans to recriminalize cannabis or pot.
New Cannabis regulation to end recreational use and make buds a prohibited substance
The move comes as protesters continue their vigil in an effort to halt the process. This took a significant step forward on Friday, July 5th. That is when the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) voted to reschedule key elements of the cannabis plant as a Category 5 narcotic.
In effect, that was confirmed by the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Surachoke Tangwiwat. The senior ministry official said the plan was to have it in effect from January 1st, 2025.
Certainly, this would put an end to recreational cannabis use and up to 7,700 retail outlets across the kingdom. This is because the new regulation would make cannabis buds a prohibited substance.
After the 29-member committee voted in favour of the move, Dr. Surachoke emphasised that medical cannabis use would not be impacted.
In addition, the decision by the panel came after public consultations held by the Ministry of Public Health. At these briefings, strong scientific and medical evidence was heard from experts.
In summary, it highlighted not only the clinical dangers of cannabis. In addition, it heard reports of the country’s real experience with the drug within the health system.
Anutin turns up the heat on PM over cannabis issue as critical drug control panel meeting looms to decide
Furthermore, there is huge public support for the government and the Prime Minister’s policy to outlaw pot. A recent National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll put it at 75.65%, with 60.38% feeling very strongly about the subject.
Despite public support, Anutin to oppose cannabis criminalisation at a panel meeting
Nonetheless, in the face of all this, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin met the Prime Minister Mr. Srettha and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Thursday. In short, he made clear his opposition to the government’s policy.
Moreover, he confirmed that as Minister of the Interior, he would vote against the move at the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) meeting scheduled to approve the next step in the criminalisation process.
Afterwards, Mr. Anutin told the media that Mr. Srettha had been tight-lipped. The PM said perhaps further discussion was required.
The campaign by Mr. Anutin comes amid various spokespeople for pro-cannabis groups warning that they will vigorously oppose the outlawing of the substance.
Experts and Cannabis industry express concerns over the drug’s recriminalisation impact. ฿28 billion loss
Experts have been wheeled out to question whether the recriminalisation of the drug will impact those using it for medical purposes. At the same time, there have been concerns expressed by the cannabis industry that has grown up around the drug.
One estimate puts the current value of cannabis to the economy at ฿28 billion.
On this basis, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin is pushing for legislation instead to regulate the use of the drug as an alternative.
However, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, in May, in a sharp intervention, ordered that cannabis be outlawed by early 2025. That order was given at a meeting attended by Mr. Anutin and current Minister of Public Health, Somsak Thepsuthin.
Mr. Somsak has made his position and goal clear: to recriminalize the drug by the end of this year.
Significantly, on Thursday, Mr. Anutin suggested he would not talk to his successor as Minister of Public Health on the issue. He warned that it would only provoke conflict.
Bhumjaithai Party leader amazed that the NSB panel voted to recriminalise Cannabis just 2 years later
In addition, the Bhumjaithai Party leader expressed amazement that the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) panel voted to recriminalise cannabis.
He pointed out that the panel was the same one that had previously approved its legalisation.
However, it appears that Mr Anutin is dismissing the damning findings of the recent Ministry of Public Health consultative process. Certainly, he is not dismissing public opinion on the matter.
On Thursday, he suggested that the drug is becoming a victim of politics. He made it clear that he thinks the government is pushing to outlaw pot because it is Pheu Thai Party policy.
‘I have informed the Prime Minister as the head of the government because this matter has not reached the Cabinet, but is with the NCB, which is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Pirapan Salirathavibhaga and has many ministers in the committee. I must inform the Prime Minister first that I cannot give my approval to bring cannabis back to being a narcotic because there are still some imperfections. The committee that previously removed cannabis from being a narcotic and the committee that set up the matter to bring cannabis back to being a narcotic are the same group. Most of the NCB members are in the same group. Therefore, there should be more information to make a decision on such an important matter. This matter should not have started,’ he said.
Anutin dismisses accusations of Bhumjaithai Party playing politics with the Cannabis issue
Questioned at length by reporters as to whether the Bhumjaithai Party was playing politics itself, he denied this.
In particular, as to whether the party may withdraw support for the government’s spending bill to fund the Digital Wallet giveaway.
Undeniably, however, there is an implicit threat in the elevated position to the recriminalisation of cannabis being now expressed by Mr Anutin. The Bhumjaithai Party leader is making clear that he vehemently opposes the move.
Nevertheless, he insists that at this time it is a ministerial issue. Promptly, he told reporters that it had not come to the Cabinet yet. Perhaps at that level, the situation may change.
For now, however, Minister Anutin maintains that the cannabis issue is not a threat to the coalition government.
‘The issue of cannabis has nothing to do with the coalition government. Don’t connect it. It’s a matter of people working there. They used to work in the Ministry of Public Health. The information about removing cannabis from narcotics came from the Ministry of Public Health, which has a committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, which agreed to return cannabis to being a narcotic,’ he disclosed
‘But when there was a change in the new executives of the ministry, why didn’t they provide the original information to the new minister? I think the information is not enough. But if new information comes in, society will be destroyed by cannabis all over the country, or cannabis has no benefits at all, has no medicinal properties, it’s all imagination, it can’t cure anyone. If the information is like this, we have to allow it to be returned to being a narcotic,’ Anutin concluded.
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Further reading:
Cannabis slammed by top medical leaders and academics at Ministry of Public Health civil forum
Condemnation of previous pot policy from medical experts as Thailand’s pot shops are set to close
Potent pot to be criminalised as the minister looks at ways to suppress recreational cannabis use
Two deaths linked with cannabis use and violent incidents reported in recent days by Thai police
Go easy on the growing cannabis industry says Anutin who concedes that Pita will be the next PM
Thai Marijuana tycoons ponder mixed messaging from the Move Forward-led coalition on the drug
Crackdown on crime wave against Chinese tourists in Bangkok as concerns also raised on cannabis
