Cannabis: Thailand's u-turn a lesson for Malaysia

The new Thai government is pushing to re-enforce the ban on widespread cannabis use. Illustrative image – 123RF

SHAH ALAM – The new Thai government’s proposal to re-enforce the ban on widespread cannabis use serves as a lesson for any party in Malaysia attempting to ‘legalise’ the use of such prohibited substances.

Women, Family, and Drug Prevention Bureau of the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam) Chairman Datuk Jamelah A Bakar said the implications of widespread drug use by any country cannot be immediately observed but take a long time to see its effects.

“After 18 months of Thailand allowing the use of cannabis for recreational purposes, the neighbouring country has finally realised that their previous actions were a big mistake.

“This mistake was also acknowledged by the Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin who stated that drug abuse is the biggest problem in the country,” he said.

Previously, the new Thai government planned to pass new laws prohibiting the use of cannabis for recreational purposes after 18 months of allowing its use, making it the first country in Asia to decriminalise the ban, as reported by CNN.

The loosen laws saw an increase in the cannabis industry for locals and foreign tourists.

However, the new Thai government pledged to tighten regulations on cannabis use and only allow it for medical purposes.

Commenting further on the increase in the cannabis industry in Thailand, Jamelah said the situation might be good for the economy but not for public health.

“In fact, there are many other ways to increase national income and not necessarily through the cannabis industry. This is what we need to rectify.

“We cannot allow widespread drug use in society because it not only affects the individuals who use them but also endangers those around them.

“Just look at the cases in our country, even though the law does not allow drug use, there are still many drug-related cases, some of which result in casualties due to addicts being murdered,” she said.