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THAI INFLUENCER SAYS HE’S ‘BREAKING UP’ WITH CANNABIS AS COUNTRY PLANS TO
RECRIMINALISE DRUG

Health and economics are the driving forces behind move to reverse controversial
2022 legalisation

Sarah Newey, Global Health Security Correspondent, in Bangkok 4 May 2024 •
1:26pm
Related Topics
 * Cannabis,
 * Thailand,
 * Drugs,
 * Bangkok

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Comment speech bubble icon 4



Thai actor Saranyoo Prachakit says cannabis was altering his brain

When Thai racer and actor Saranyoo Prachakit announced online that he was
“breaking up” with cannabis because it was altering his brain, he didn’t think
it would cause such a stir.

But within hours of posting his candid update on Instagram in late April, his
words were plastered across the nation’s television screens.

“I decided to stop using weed and any products because I can’t understand small
words or can’t focus seriously,” the 40-year-old, known locally by his nickname
Beam, told The Telegraph. “[I’m] not motivated [to do] anything. I’m too slow,
like a sloth.”



His experience appears to have struck a chord with millions of Thais, with
mounting pressure for legalisation to be reversed later this year.

The sudden decision to completely decriminalise the drug in June 2022 defied
Thailand’s reputation as hard on drugs and was controversial from the off.


Saranyoo Prachakit says he "can't understand small words or can't focus
seriously"

But in the two years since, accusations that it was a political calculation
which ignored public health have grown, with even progressive political parties
viewing the experience as a failure.

There have been reports of more young people dropping out of schools, growing
rates of addiction to harder substances, and farmers struggling to make a living
from growing the crop due to oversupply.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has said he wants to restrict use to medicinal
purposes once again, as was the case prior to 2022, and tabled a draft cannabis
bill earlier this year to close loopholes enabling recreational use.

“Cannabis policy will be medical cannabis,” he said in an interview shortly
after taking office last year. “On recreational use, I do not agree with that.”



Analysts say new regulations are expected at the end of the year.

“There have been negative impacts on our society, community, children – 
especially from recreational use,” said Dr Natthanan Vijitakorn, a fellow at the
Thailand Development Research Institute and head of a project assessing the
cannabis fallout.


A cannabis farm in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand where cooperatives grow the drug
Credit: Theppabut Sangsuk/Theppabut Sangsuk

“The positives, those are unclear, made worse by insufficient law enforcement of
the few regulations that do exist.”

With little oversight, business has since boomed.

Some 6,000 dispensaries have opened nationwide, especially in the capital and
tourist hotspots, while more than a million farmers are growing the plant.
According to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the sector could be
worth $1.2 billion (£934 million) by 2025.

And although it is illegal to sell cannabis to anyone under 20, lax enforcement
means it’s “easy” for young people to get hold of it, according to Phuvit
Prasarthai, head of the Child and Family Development Organisation in Nakhon
Ratchasima, eastern Thailand.


RISE IN USE

“Before legalisation, the use of cannabis was not distinctly noticeable…I think
maybe five to ten per cent of young people used cannabis. I would say now it’s
50 per cent.”

Data nationwide is patchy, but the available figures suggest there has
definitely been a substantial rise in use.

One study from the Centre for Addiction Studies, published last year, found
almost 25 per cent of people aged between 18 and 65 had used cannabis since it
was decriminalised, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2019.

Meanwhile, smoking among 18 and 19-year-olds has jumped tenfold, from 0.9 per
cent in 2019 to 9.7 per cent last year.

In deprived neighbourhoods in Nakhon Ratchasima, Mr Phuvit said that he has seen
a rise of “behavioural problems” linked to cannabis use, warning that many of
the teenagers he works with have fallen behind at school, or dropped out
altogether. But he is most concerned that it is a precursor to more serious
addictions, including methamphetamine.


GATEWAY TO OTHER DRUGS

Dr Sahaphume Srisuma, a toxicologist at the Ramathibodi Poison Centre in
Bangkok, agrees. “Legalisation has not seen harm reduction,” he said. “Instead
it has been a gateway to other drugs for these kids.”

Doctors are concerned by what they’re seeing, and challenge the idea the drug is
totally safe. At the Ramathibodi Poison Centre, which provides advice to
non-specialist doctors across the capital, the number of calls for advice
dealing with cannabis side-effects jumped from 252 in 2020 to 550 in 2022.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse Treatment’s main treatment centre in
Bangkok has also seen a rise in emergency room patients with cannabis in their
system - from 243 of 1,243 presentations in 2022, to 1,072 of 1,661 in 2023.
Similarly, the proportion of cannabis users on the psychiatric ward rose from
8.3 per cent in 2020, to 32.15 per cent last year.

“There has been a lack of education about potential risks, which differ for
everyone,” said Dr Sahaphume. “Cannabis has medicinal benefits if it is used
safely, as a product prescribed by professionals to educated individuals… but
this is only a small proportion of users in our country right now.”

Economics are also at play.

When the Bhumjaithai party pushed through decriminalisation, they argued it
would be a financial boon for many poorer farmers in their stronghold in eastern
Thailand. But a surge of growers, coupled with illegal imports, has limited
returns for many.


NO PROFIT

“When we grew rice, we could make a profit of 3,500 baht [£75] per rai [1,600
square metres],” said Theppabut Sangsuk, a member of a cooperative in Nakhon
Ratchasima.

The farmers thought they would make at least 10 times that with cannabis, he
said, but “we’ve had no profit because we cannot sell it”. Instead, they’re 10
million baht in debt.

“It was 100 per cent a mistake. We feel misinformed by the government, we
invested a lot of money to grow cannabis and haven’t seen any returns,” Mr
Theppabut said. “So much money, gone.”

Pro-cannabis growers said this issue would have been solved if the government
cracked down on “cannabis cowboys”, restricted on licences, and made fewer
unrealistic promises.

“There’s definitely an oversupply issue,” said Kitty Chopaka, a cannabis
campaigner and shop owner. “But issues could be solved with a review of
regulations. It would be crazy to think this would work perfectly immediately…
that doesn’t mean we need a complete clampdown.”

She argued that cannabis is being “demonised” and blamed for other societal
problems: “It’s a bit like blaming violence on games, or laziness on social
media.”

“The more problematic drugs of choice are cough syrup, kratom, codeine, meth  – 
these are a lot cheaper than cannabis… A cough syrup bottle costs about $1.8,
cannabis on average is $10 per gram. What kids have that money?”

Related Topics
 * Cannabis,
 * Thailand,
 * Drugs,
 * Bangkok

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