Dozens of pro-cannabis advocates gathered Thursday at the health ministry on the outskirts of the Thai capital, Bangkok, to oppose the government's plan to relist the plant as a narcotic, two years after it was decriminalized.
The rally came after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin last week said he would like the plant to be relisted as a narcotic again by the end of this year. Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize it in 2022 for medical purposes, but in practice the market appears virtually unregulated, leading to public backlash and concerns over misuse and crime.
About 30 people came to the health ministry in Nonthaburi, just north of the Thai capital Bangkok, to petition minister Somsak Thepsuthin.
The group's representative, Prasitchai Nunuan, said they all agreed that cannabis should be properly regulated, but that doesn't require the rescheduling of the plant as a narcotic, noting possible economic impacts on a budding industry.
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