Context:
Two years after Thailand made cannabis legal, the country appears set to crack down on its freewheeling drug market with a ban on “recreational” use of Marijuana.
About:
∙ Thailand was the first country in Asia to legalise cannabis in June 2022.
∙ The government introduced regulations that made cannabis a “controlled herb” that requires a license for planting or selling, as well as banning online sales,sales to pregnant women and people under 20, and public smoking.
∙ But cannabis can be purchased easily by practically anyone at many unlicensed establishments or online.
∙ Legal cannabis has fuelled Thailand’s tourism and farming trades but it is facing public backlash over perceptions that under-regulation has made the drug available to kids and caused crime.
Cannabis/Marijuana
∙ It is a generic term used to denote the several psychoactive preparations of the plant Cannabis sativa.
∙ The Mexican term ‘marijuana’ is frequently used in referring to cannabis leaves or other crude plant material in many countries.
∙ The major psychoactive constituent in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and compounds structurally similar to THC are referred to as cannabinoids.
Side-effects Cannabis use
∙ Its immediate effects include impairments in memory and in mental processes, including ones that are critical for driving.
∙ Long-term use of cannabis may lead to the development of addiction of the substance, persistent cognitive deficits, and of mental health problems like schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.
∙ Exposure to cannabis in adolescence can alter brain development.
Legal Status in India:
∙ Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) of 1985: Classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has high potential for abuse.
∙ Possession and consumption: Punishable with imprisonment for up to 6 months or a fine of 10,000 or both.
∙ Cultivation and sale: More severe penalties, including imprisonment for up to 10 years and fines.
∙ Exclusions: Bhang, which is made with the leaves of the plant, is not mentioned in the NDPS Act.
∙ Recent changes:
∙ 2020: CBD (cannabidiol) extracted from hemp plants legalized for medical purposes.∙ 2023: Uttarakhand High Court ruled that the NDPS Act does not prohibit the cultivation of cannabis for research purposes.
