Thailand is ruled by a monarchy but the government is essentially controlled by the military's representatives. Thailand has a rich ancient culture, great natural beauty and is one of the world's great tourist hubs. Tourism has brought rapid economic development with the big cities comparable to any world wide in terms of infrastructure, population and facilities. Rural Thailand on the other hand has managed to retain its tradition, culture and sustainable agricultural practices. Yet both urban and rural Thailand are threatened by various factors including rampant development, global warming, population growth and health concerns. Urban Thailand with its huge tourist industry is a hub for the drug trade.
Recently Thailand has been in the news regarding attempts by a few pharmaceutical companies to patent some of the varieties of cannabis that are local to the country. This has met stiff resistance from within the country and has sparked an interest in two traditional recreational plants that have been a part of Thai culture for thousands of years, cannabis and kratom. Thailand's farmers are said to have used cannabis for relaxation after a hard day's work in the field before the plant was banned in 1934. The Thai claim that the word 'bong' meaning water pipe is taken from the Thai language. The focus on cannabis and the emerging reports from leading research and medical institutions worldwide regarding the medical benefits of cannabis has led to the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes in Thailand making it the first Asian country to make the change. Yet how much cannabis is actually accessible and affordable for the common man is a matter of concern. The dispensation of medical cannabis is tightly controlled by the state and only prescribed after it is shown that conventional treatment methods have failed. Recent reports have indicated that the government is taking measures to improve the ease of business related to cannabis.
The steps taken with regard to cannabis legalization are very small and not sufficient in the larger context. The central theme is still that of a herb that the authorities control and regulate and decide who should have access to and how much A country like Thailand can benefit vastly from the cultivation of cannabis as an agricultural crop which will provide a much needed boost for Thai farmers battling rising seas and climate change. The home growing of cannabis will provide affordable medicine to every Thai individual especially the poorest of the poor, the minorities, the indigenous communities, the elderly, the sick, the youth and the women who are the ones who need it the most. Cannabis based industries such as hemp products can vastly boost sustainable economic growth and employment. Revival of indigenous Thai varieties of cannabis can boost tourism, wellness, food and beverages, research and trade with an increasing number of global nations.
Recently Thailand has been in the news regarding attempts by a few pharmaceutical companies to patent some of the varieties of cannabis that are local to the country. This has met stiff resistance from within the country and has sparked an interest in two traditional recreational plants that have been a part of Thai culture for thousands of years, cannabis and kratom. Thailand's farmers are said to have used cannabis for relaxation after a hard day's work in the field before the plant was banned in 1934. The Thai claim that the word 'bong' meaning water pipe is taken from the Thai language. The focus on cannabis and the emerging reports from leading research and medical institutions worldwide regarding the medical benefits of cannabis has led to the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes in Thailand making it the first Asian country to make the change. Yet how much cannabis is actually accessible and affordable for the common man is a matter of concern. The dispensation of medical cannabis is tightly controlled by the state and only prescribed after it is shown that conventional treatment methods have failed. Recent reports have indicated that the government is taking measures to improve the ease of business related to cannabis.
The steps taken with regard to cannabis legalization are very small and not sufficient in the larger context. The central theme is still that of a herb that the authorities control and regulate and decide who should have access to and how much A country like Thailand can benefit vastly from the cultivation of cannabis as an agricultural crop which will provide a much needed boost for Thai farmers battling rising seas and climate change. The home growing of cannabis will provide affordable medicine to every Thai individual especially the poorest of the poor, the minorities, the indigenous communities, the elderly, the sick, the youth and the women who are the ones who need it the most. Cannabis based industries such as hemp products can vastly boost sustainable economic growth and employment. Revival of indigenous Thai varieties of cannabis can boost tourism, wellness, food and beverages, research and trade with an increasing number of global nations.
Thai society can vastly benefit from cannabis which is much more safer than alcohol, which happens to be one of the deadliest yet most widely accessible recreational drugs, let alone dangerous chemical drugs like methamphetamine, heroin, novel psychotropic substances, cocaine, and synthetic cannabinoids which lead to increasing crime, violence and fatalities. The proximity of Thailand to the opioid and methamphetamine hubs of the
east makes it especially vulnerable to these dangerous drugs.
According to the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report 2020 - 'Most of the clandestine methamphetamine manufacture in the Near and
Middle East/South-West Asia has traditionally been in the Islamic
Republic of Iran, being manufactured both for the local market and for
export to countries in East and South-East Asia (including Indonesia,
Malaysia and Thailand) as well as for export to Central Asia and the
Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Tajikistan) and to Europe (including
Bulgaria, France, the Russian Federation, Turkey and the United
Kingdom). However, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not the main source
of the methamphetamine found in other countries in the Near and Middle
East/SouthWest Asia (with the exception of Iraq and the Syrian Arab
Republic). The main source countries for other countries in this
subregion seem to continue to be countries in East and South-East Asia.
The extent of clandestine methamphetamine manufacture in the Islamic
Republic of Iran actually appears to be declining, while manufacturing
is rapidly increasing in neighbouring Afghanistan.' The Report also states that - ' in Thailand 1.3 per cent of the population (653,000 people) aged 12–65
were estimated to be past-year users of methamphetamine tablets, whereas
0.7 per cent of the population (372,000) used crystal methamphetamine
in 2019.' Methamphetamine users are also getting younger as compared to opioid users says the report and form the majority of users that are treated for its abuse- 'People receiving treatment for the use of methamphetamine account for
more than three quarters of those in treatment in Brunei Darussalam,
Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand'. Thailand was one among three countries including the US and Mexico that accounted for 80% of the methamphetamine seizures in 2019.
With regard to opioids like heroin, Thailand was one of the main destination countries for opioids trafficked from Myanmar and China.
Thailand also possibly remains as a key transit route for the trafficking of opioids and methamphetamine to Australia and New Zealand.
Cannabis can prove to be a balancing factor reducing needle sharing and the proliferation of HIV fueled by the sex industry. Thai law enforcement can free up precious legal infrastructure and resources to focus its resources on preventing violent and dangerous crime, financial crime, human trafficking, etc instead of cracking down on cannabis users. The country also needs to guard against global companies including pharmaceutical companies taking control over its cannabis crops, patenting them and exporting them to North America or Europe where there is a huge demand and shortage while the people of Thailand remain without access to the medicinal plant.
Having seen the results of cannabis legalization in North America in places such as Canada, California, Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Michigan, etc with the positives that have emerged from it and having taken the first steps towards medical cannabis legalization, it is most important for Thailand to take the more important larger steps of cannabis legalization for adult recreational use for the plant to truly reach all the people who will benefit from it. The persons who will benefit from it is essentially every single person in Thailand.
Having seen the results of cannabis legalization in North America in places such as Canada, California, Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Michigan, etc with the positives that have emerged from it and having taken the first steps towards medical cannabis legalization, it is most important for Thailand to take the more important larger steps of cannabis legalization for adult recreational use for the plant to truly reach all the people who will benefit from it. The persons who will benefit from it is essentially every single person in Thailand.
In December 2020, the UN voted to remove cannabis from its most
restricted Schedule IV category of the 1961 Single Convention on
Narcotic Drugs. It does however still remain in Schedule I, which is the
least restrictive. This one move by the UN itself should be sufficient
to bring about the recreational legalization of cannabis in every nation
and an overhaul of national drug laws.
Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.
'Most of the clandestine methamphetamine manufacture in the Near and Middle East/South-West Asia has traditionally been in the Islamic Republic of Iran, being manufactured both for the local market and for export to countries in East and South-East Asia (including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand) as well as for export to Central Asia and the Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Tajikistan) and to Europe (including Bulgaria, France, the Russian Federation, Turkey and the United Kingdom). However, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not the main source of the methamphetamine found in other countries in the Near and Middle East/SouthWest Asia (with the exception of Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic). The main source countries for other countries in this subregion seem to continue to be countries in East and South-East Asia. The extent of clandestine methamphetamine manufacture in the Islamic Republic of Iran actually appears to be declining, while manufacturing is rapidly increasing in neighbouring Afghanistan.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'More than one third (9.9 million people) of the estimated global number of users of amphetamines are in East and South-East Asia. The increased use of methamphetamine, both in the form of tablets and crystalline methamphetamine, continues to be reported in the subregion. A recent household survey conducted in Indonesia in 2017 reported past-year prevalence of the use of amphetamines at 0.5 per cent, or roughly 1 million past-year users, 850,000 of whom were past-year users of methamphetamine. Similarly, in the Philippines, on the basis of a 2016 household survey, 1.1 per cent of the population aged 10–69, or approximately 850,000 people, were estimated to be past-year users of methamphetamine, while in Thailand 1.3 per cent of the population (653,000 people) aged 12–65 were estimated to be past-year users of methamphetamine tablets, whereas 0.7 per cent of the population (372,000) used crystal methamphetamine in 2019.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_2.pdf
'Treatment for the use of amphetamine-type stimulants is more common in Asia (predominantly for the use of methamphetamine) and Oceania (based on data from Australia and New Zealand) than in other regions. As is the case with cannabis users, people who are in treatment for disorders related to the use of amphetamines tend to be younger – in their mid-twenties – than users of opioids in treatment, and the majority of them also tend to be first-time entrants. People receiving treatment for the use of methamphetamine account for more than three quarters of those in treatment in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_2.pdf
'The most significant trafficking activities worldwide of opiates not of Afghan origin concern opiates produced in South-East Asia (mostly Myanmar), which are trafficked to other markets in East and SouthEast Asia (mostly China and Thailand) and to Oceania (mostly Australia). Seizures made in those countries accounted for 11 per cent of the global quantities of heroin and morphine seized (excluding seizures made by Afghanistan) in 2018, down from 15 per cent in 2015. This went in parallel with reported reductions in opium production in Myanmar of 20 per cent over the period 2005–2018.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Nonetheless, seizures of methamphetamine remain highly concentrated: the three countries responsible for most of the methamphetamine seized worldwide in 2018 (the United States, Thailand and Mexico) accounted for 80 per cent of the global total, while the three countries reporting the largest quantities of amphetamine (Turkey, Pakistan and the Syrian Arab Republic) and the three countries reporting the most “ecstasy” seized (Turkey, the United States and Australia) accounted for a significantly smaller proportion of the global total (around 50 per cent) in 2018.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Countries identified as significant source countries for methamphetamine shipments in Asia in the period 2014–2018 included Myanmar, followed by China, Thailand, India and Iran (Islamic Republic of). Clandestine methamphetamine manufacture in Asia seems to be still largely based on the use of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine as precursors, although reports from Afghanistan suggest that ephedrine is extracted from ephedra plant material and used as a precursor for methamphetamine.80 The authorities in Myanmar and Thailand have reported the seizure of increasing quantities of sodium cyanide and benzyl cyanide in recent years. These substances can be used for synthesizing P-2-P, which is then used to manufacture either amphetamine or methamphetamine.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'The largest quantities of methamphetamine seized in 2018 were the quantities seized in the United States, followed by Thailand and Mexico. Marked increases in the quantities seized from 2017 to 2018 were reported by the United States and Thailand, while the quantities of methamphetamine seized in China declined, in line with reports of wastewater analysis that showed a significant decline in methamphetamine consumption in that country.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Quantities of methamphetamine seized in East and South-East Asia increased eightfold over the period 2009–2018, to close to 100 tons, and preliminary data for 2019 show further strong increases in the quantities of methamphetamine seized, in particular in South-East Asia, with increases reported in 2019 by, among other countries, Brunei Daraussalam, Cambodia. Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam. In most years in the past decade the largest quantities of methamphetamine seized in East and South-East Asia were reported by China. In 2018, by contrast, 66 per cent of all the methamphetamine seized in that subregion was seized in Thailand, followed by Indonesia (8 per cent) and Malaysia (8 per cent) and only then by China (6 per cent), reflecting underlying shifts in the methamphetamine market in South-East Asia, that is, a decline in the methamphetamine market in China in parallel with ongoing increases in the ASEAN countries.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'This shift from China as the main location of methamphetamine manufacture and trafficking to other countries in East and South-East Asia is also indirectly reflected in trafficking data reported by Australia. China and Hong Kong, China, were the two main embarkation points for methamphetamine trafficked to Australia in 2015, whereas in the fiscal years 2016/17 and 2017/18 the most important embarkation points were the United States, followed by Thailand and Malaysia. In fact, in 2018, the Australian authorities reported that the importance of China as a source country for methamphetamine had declined while there has been an emerging trend in the growth of quantities of seized methamphetamine originating in South-East Asia, mainly in the Mekong region, including the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Thailand.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Most of the methamphetamine available in East and South-East Asia is sourced within the subregion. The dynamics of methamphetamine manufacture and trafficking within that subregion are, however, less well understood than in others as the available indicators show partly contradictory patterns. Although in previous years, China and Myanmar were identified as the most frequently identified countries of “origin”, “departure” and “transit” in East and South-East Asia, manufacture of methamphetamine may now be more widely spread across the subregion, although it is not clear whether frequently mentioned departure countries, such as Malaysia or Thailand, are also the countries of origin or mainly transit countries for methamphetamine manufactured in Myanmar. In fact, Myanmar reported Thailand and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic as main destination countries for methamphetamine shipments in 2018, while Malaysia reported Thailand as the main departure country' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'While methamphetamine trafficking flows from East and South-East Asia to countries outside the subregion remain modest, some smuggling to destinations around the world was reported, mainly smuggling from Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar in 2018 or, when the period is extended to the past five years, mainly from China and Thailand. Destinations outside the subregion included countries in South Asia, the Near and Middle East (Saudi Arabia as well as Israel), Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), North America (the United States as well as Canada), Western Europe (notably Switzerland as well as Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Iceland), Eastern Europe (notably the Russian Federation) and Africa (notably South Africa) over the period 2014–2018' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Methamphetamine found in Australia and New Zealand is both locally manufactured and, to a larger extent, imported from North America and Asia. In the fiscal year 2017/18, methamphetamine was mainly smuggled into Australia from the United States, followed by Thailand, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, China (including Hong Kong, China), Mexico, Lebanon, Viet Nam and India. The United States was also the main source country of the methamphetamine found in New Zealand in 2018, followed by Canada and, in SouthEast Asia, by Malaysia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
Afghanistan and Mexico source the heroin and morphine. Mexico, Thailand, Myanmar and China source the methamphetamine. The Middle East and Eastern Europe sources the amphetamine. The US consumes heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Europe consumes heroin, morphine, methamphetamine and amphetamine. Asia consumes heroin, morphine and methamphetamine. Australia consumes methamphetamine. The Middle East consumes heroin and amphetamine. West Asia consumes heroin and methamphetamine. All countries grow and consume cannabis. Opioids, methamphetamine and amphetamines kill the most in terms of drug deaths, cannabis kills none. Who are the leading opponents to cannabis legalization and leading enforcers of global anti-cannabis policy? The countries involved the most in heroin, morphine, amphetamines and methamphetamine. They put on a mask of concern about harms from drugs, produce, sell and consume the most dangerous synthetic drugs and vehemently oppose cannabis legalization worldwide while clandestinely feeding their habits and protecting their sources. They use arms and armies to protect and promote their synthetic drug habits, and drug money to fund and wage a war on cannabis everywhere, pushing man and planet ever closer to death on massive scales and away from the safe, healing cannabis herb...
Jul 10, 2020, 1:14 PM
'More than one third (9.9 million people) of the estimated global number of users of amphetamines are in East and South-East Asia. The increased use of methamphetamine, both in the form of tablets and crystalline methamphetamine, continues to be reported in the subregion. A recent household survey conducted in Indonesia in 2017 reported past-year prevalence of the use of amphetamines at 0.5 per cent, or roughly 1 million past-year users, 850,000 of whom were past-year users of methamphetamine. Similarly, in the Philippines, on the basis of a 2016 household survey, 1.1 per cent of the population aged 10–69, or approximately 850,000 people, were estimated to be past-year users of methamphetamine, while in Thailand 1.3 per cent of the population (653,000 people) aged 12–65 were estimated to be past-year users of methamphetamine tablets, whereas 0.7 per cent of the population (372,000) used crystal methamphetamine in 2019.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_2.pdf
'Treatment for the use of amphetamine-type stimulants is more common in Asia (predominantly for the use of methamphetamine) and Oceania (based on data from Australia and New Zealand) than in other regions. As is the case with cannabis users, people who are in treatment for disorders related to the use of amphetamines tend to be younger – in their mid-twenties – than users of opioids in treatment, and the majority of them also tend to be first-time entrants. People receiving treatment for the use of methamphetamine account for more than three quarters of those in treatment in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_2.pdf
'The most significant trafficking activities worldwide of opiates not of Afghan origin concern opiates produced in South-East Asia (mostly Myanmar), which are trafficked to other markets in East and SouthEast Asia (mostly China and Thailand) and to Oceania (mostly Australia). Seizures made in those countries accounted for 11 per cent of the global quantities of heroin and morphine seized (excluding seizures made by Afghanistan) in 2018, down from 15 per cent in 2015. This went in parallel with reported reductions in opium production in Myanmar of 20 per cent over the period 2005–2018.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Nonetheless, seizures of methamphetamine remain highly concentrated: the three countries responsible for most of the methamphetamine seized worldwide in 2018 (the United States, Thailand and Mexico) accounted for 80 per cent of the global total, while the three countries reporting the largest quantities of amphetamine (Turkey, Pakistan and the Syrian Arab Republic) and the three countries reporting the most “ecstasy” seized (Turkey, the United States and Australia) accounted for a significantly smaller proportion of the global total (around 50 per cent) in 2018.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Countries identified as significant source countries for methamphetamine shipments in Asia in the period 2014–2018 included Myanmar, followed by China, Thailand, India and Iran (Islamic Republic of). Clandestine methamphetamine manufacture in Asia seems to be still largely based on the use of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine as precursors, although reports from Afghanistan suggest that ephedrine is extracted from ephedra plant material and used as a precursor for methamphetamine.80 The authorities in Myanmar and Thailand have reported the seizure of increasing quantities of sodium cyanide and benzyl cyanide in recent years. These substances can be used for synthesizing P-2-P, which is then used to manufacture either amphetamine or methamphetamine.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'The largest quantities of methamphetamine seized in 2018 were the quantities seized in the United States, followed by Thailand and Mexico. Marked increases in the quantities seized from 2017 to 2018 were reported by the United States and Thailand, while the quantities of methamphetamine seized in China declined, in line with reports of wastewater analysis that showed a significant decline in methamphetamine consumption in that country.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Quantities of methamphetamine seized in East and South-East Asia increased eightfold over the period 2009–2018, to close to 100 tons, and preliminary data for 2019 show further strong increases in the quantities of methamphetamine seized, in particular in South-East Asia, with increases reported in 2019 by, among other countries, Brunei Daraussalam, Cambodia. Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam. In most years in the past decade the largest quantities of methamphetamine seized in East and South-East Asia were reported by China. In 2018, by contrast, 66 per cent of all the methamphetamine seized in that subregion was seized in Thailand, followed by Indonesia (8 per cent) and Malaysia (8 per cent) and only then by China (6 per cent), reflecting underlying shifts in the methamphetamine market in South-East Asia, that is, a decline in the methamphetamine market in China in parallel with ongoing increases in the ASEAN countries.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'This shift from China as the main location of methamphetamine manufacture and trafficking to other countries in East and South-East Asia is also indirectly reflected in trafficking data reported by Australia. China and Hong Kong, China, were the two main embarkation points for methamphetamine trafficked to Australia in 2015, whereas in the fiscal years 2016/17 and 2017/18 the most important embarkation points were the United States, followed by Thailand and Malaysia. In fact, in 2018, the Australian authorities reported that the importance of China as a source country for methamphetamine had declined while there has been an emerging trend in the growth of quantities of seized methamphetamine originating in South-East Asia, mainly in the Mekong region, including the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Thailand.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Most of the methamphetamine available in East and South-East Asia is sourced within the subregion. The dynamics of methamphetamine manufacture and trafficking within that subregion are, however, less well understood than in others as the available indicators show partly contradictory patterns. Although in previous years, China and Myanmar were identified as the most frequently identified countries of “origin”, “departure” and “transit” in East and South-East Asia, manufacture of methamphetamine may now be more widely spread across the subregion, although it is not clear whether frequently mentioned departure countries, such as Malaysia or Thailand, are also the countries of origin or mainly transit countries for methamphetamine manufactured in Myanmar. In fact, Myanmar reported Thailand and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic as main destination countries for methamphetamine shipments in 2018, while Malaysia reported Thailand as the main departure country' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'While methamphetamine trafficking flows from East and South-East Asia to countries outside the subregion remain modest, some smuggling to destinations around the world was reported, mainly smuggling from Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar in 2018 or, when the period is extended to the past five years, mainly from China and Thailand. Destinations outside the subregion included countries in South Asia, the Near and Middle East (Saudi Arabia as well as Israel), Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), North America (the United States as well as Canada), Western Europe (notably Switzerland as well as Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Iceland), Eastern Europe (notably the Russian Federation) and Africa (notably South Africa) over the period 2014–2018' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
'Methamphetamine found in Australia and New Zealand is both locally manufactured and, to a larger extent, imported from North America and Asia. In the fiscal year 2017/18, methamphetamine was mainly smuggled into Australia from the United States, followed by Thailand, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, China (including Hong Kong, China), Mexico, Lebanon, Viet Nam and India. The United States was also the main source country of the methamphetamine found in New Zealand in 2018, followed by Canada and, in SouthEast Asia, by Malaysia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_3.pdf
Afghanistan and Mexico source the heroin and morphine. Mexico, Thailand, Myanmar and China source the methamphetamine. The Middle East and Eastern Europe sources the amphetamine. The US consumes heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Europe consumes heroin, morphine, methamphetamine and amphetamine. Asia consumes heroin, morphine and methamphetamine. Australia consumes methamphetamine. The Middle East consumes heroin and amphetamine. West Asia consumes heroin and methamphetamine. All countries grow and consume cannabis. Opioids, methamphetamine and amphetamines kill the most in terms of drug deaths, cannabis kills none. Who are the leading opponents to cannabis legalization and leading enforcers of global anti-cannabis policy? The countries involved the most in heroin, morphine, amphetamines and methamphetamine. They put on a mask of concern about harms from drugs, produce, sell and consume the most dangerous synthetic drugs and vehemently oppose cannabis legalization worldwide while clandestinely feeding their habits and protecting their sources. They use arms and armies to protect and promote their synthetic drug habits, and drug money to fund and wage a war on cannabis everywhere, pushing man and planet ever closer to death on massive scales and away from the safe, healing cannabis herb...
Jul 10, 2020, 1:14 PM
'At present, Section 9 of Thailand's patent law prohibits the issuance of a patent for a natural extract taken from a plant or animal. A patent can only be granted if the extract is mixed with other substances...
"In that case," he said, "anyone including Thai researchers who comes up with an innovation could apply for a patent."
The foreign firm, which was not named, filed a petition containing its request in 2010 to ask the Commerce Ministry to grant a patent for cannabis extracts. The details of the application were announced on the department's website in 2016, Mr Thossapone said.'
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1574710/marijuana-patent-bid-shot-down
'Recent news of Thailand and South Korea becoming the latest countries to adopt the use of cannabis for medical purposes reinforces the remarkable, expansive rate for global acceptance of cannabis.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/50-new-cannabis-markets-globally/
A wise Narcotics Control Board that's genuinely concerned about public health and not only securing its own position?
'The Narcotics Control Board also suggested the ruling National Council for Peace and Order use Section 44 – which gives the head of government the ability to override existing legislation and issue new laws at will – to create a law legalizing marijuana for medical purposes in Thailand.'
http://www.atimes.com/article/thais-push-to-legalize-marijuana-for-medical-purposes/
'Dr Jet Sirathraanon, chairman of the NLA's public health committee, made the statement after an NLA brainstorming session.
"We will accelerate the deliberation of these amendments so that we can complete them before the end of December. This will be a New Year's gift for all Thais," he said.'
https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1567758/marijuana-could-be-legal-by-years-end
'Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong said on Wednesday that the Narcotics Control Board had already completed its study, which presents both pros and cons of the substance, and Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha has already viewed it.'
https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/government-study-pros-cons-legalizing-marijuana-230042
'THAILAND is moving closer to getting medical marijuana legalised, as the bill on the issue has already made headway in the legislative process.
On Friday, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved the bill with 145 votes allowing marijuana to be used for medical and research purposes. Nobody attending the NLA session objected to the bill, and only one legislator abstained.
The NLA’s Somchai Swangkarn said a vetting committee on the bill has also been established. '
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30359182
'THE CABINET yesterday cleared a bill to legalise the medical use of marijuana but added a condition that the legalisation must be reviewed after five years.
The bill has been drafted by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).
Following the Cabinet’s green light and recommended addition, the draft law will go back to the NLA for further deliberation along with comments from the Council of State, the Public Health Ministry and the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB)'
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30358491
'Thailand’s legislature on Tuesday agreed to amend the country’s drug law to allow the licensed medical use of marijuana, as well as kratom, a locally grown plant traditionally used as a stimulant and painkiller.'
https://www.apnews.com/0d05c6c103cc4a55ad34b690ab967155
'Just one month after a proposed law breezed through a key hurdle, Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly voted 166-0 (with 13 abstentions) to allow medical marijuana and cannabis research.
The move came as a year-end surprise because the Assembly was expected to take 60 days to deliberate the draft.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/thailand-legalizes-marijuana-for-medical-use-research/
'THE FOOD and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing draft regulations to support the upcoming launch of medical-marijuana farming.
FDA deputy secretary-general Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat revealed yesterday that these regulations would govern key issues regarding approval of cultivation, manufacturing and imports.
“For example, we now plan to allow community enterprises to seek permits to grow medical marijuana, too,” he said.'
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362245
'The move came in response to concerns that foreign companies could monopolize the medical marijuana industry, as some had already registered for patents to produce medical marijuana in Thailand, said Arun Max Avery, chief operating officer for Highland, a marijuana advocacy group.
Avery said foreign companies such as Britain’s GW Pharmaceuticals and Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceutical had filed patents to produce medical marijuana and although their applications have not been approved, they have also not been rejected. Avery said the two companies had “already established themselves in North America and Europe and now they’re making their move in Thailand.”'
https://apnews.com/3c6d9f152f3f48289db28543bc6cce75
'In a move that has pot connoisseurs worldwide stocking up on Doritos, Thailand’s king this week has signed a royal decree legalizing marijuana and kratom for medical uses, allowing doctors, patients, schools, farmers, entrepreneurs and exporters to cultivate, possess and dispense both drugs.
Like Cuba and its cigars and France and its wines, Thailand is renowned for the quality and potency of its local weed. The move has raised hopes among many that the royal decree clears the way for legalizing recreational marijuana smoking and production soon.'
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/20/maha-vajiralongkor-thailand-king-legalizes-marijua/
'Bhumjaithai spokesman Settapong Malisuwan said the party wanted marijuana to become an economic plant that would help increase income for Thais.
“We will follow the California model. They succeeded in generating revenue of Bt1.9 trillion a year [from legalising marijuana],” he said.
Earlier, Tobacco Authority of Thailand director Daonoi Suttiniphapunt said the agency would encourage its tobacco growers to switch to marijuana cultivation, following legalisation of medical cannabis.
She said this would help tobacco growers at a time when cigarette sales are expected to decline due to a sharp hike in taxes.'
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30364696
'The country's first legal marijuana plantation was unveiled on Wednesday, amid intense public interest as Thailand embraces pot as a medical choice. Despite the brouhaha over it, the country's first legal pot farm is only a small greenhouse about 100 square metres in size. '
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1636226/first-legal-pot-farm-unveiled
'Thailand is the first in Southeast Asia to embrace medical marijuana though recreational use remains illegal.
Now state-sanctioned clinical trials testing the impact of cannabis oil on selected patients will be held as early as July, according to Nuntakan Suwanpidokkul, director of research and development at the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).
Extracts or "sublingual drops" will be administered during the tests to volunteers suffering from nausea and pain from chemotherapy, among other ailments.'
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-03-thailand-medical-marijuana-patients.html
'Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is instructing the Public Health Ministry and leading tertiary educators to support the Khao Kwan Foundation in the research and development of cannabis oil for medical purposes. His support is a rebuke of over zealous Narcotics Control Board officials who raided the Foundation last week, seizing the cannabis and extract oils on the property.'
https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/pm-backs-khao-kwan-foundation-in-cannabis-research
'“I’ve been working on legislation in parliament for the past 12 years, and I have to admit that this has been one of the toughest ones to pass because it affects the benefits of large transnational pharmaceutical companies as they sell chemotherapy, morphine, and so on, and we want to introduce something really cheap as an alternative,” he said.'
https://apnews.com/12c1a671ca6b4c90bc91b7e294b7487b
'Asked whether a law should be enacted to legalise the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, 72.40% agreed, saying that such a law has already been passed in some countries; 24.96% disagree, reasoning that the law could allow uncontrollable use of marijuana, which could lead to an increase in crime; and 2.64% were uncertain or had no comment.'
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1524582/majority-supports-medical-marijuana-use-poll
'An overwhelming number of people have voiced support for decriminalizing the use of kanja (marijuana) for research and development for medical purpose, said Somchai Sawaengkarn, a member of the National Legislative Assembly, on Tuesday, citing result of an opinion survey conducted during October 1-15.'
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/overwhelming-support-for-decriminalizing-marijuana-for-medical-purpose/
Legalize recreational marijuana through home growing for maximum access for people and to protect precious local strains of the plant....watch out for big businesses and patents...
'Thais used marijuana in traditional medicine for centuries before it was banned in 1934. Farmers were known to use it as a muscle relaxer after a day in the fields and it was reportedly used to ease womens’ labor pains.
In fact, the word ‘bong’, which describes a water pipe often used to smoke weed, comes from the Thai language. '
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-cannabis/weeding-out-foreigners-strains-over-thailands-legalization-of-marijuana-idUSKBN1OB0D0
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