NLA forwards marijuana bill

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) sent its 17-section marijuana draft bill which outlines the uses of cannabis for medical purposes to the government, kicking off the first step to partially legalising the narcotic.

The draft, proposed by 44 NLA members, follows the same stance as a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) narcotic control panel which convened yesterday to consider the issue. It resolved that it first needs to get the nod from the government’s legal advisory body, the Council of State, on some legal complications before going ahead with its push.

Both the NLA and the committee support the move to “level up” marijuana to a Category 2 drug from its current Category 5 status which is under strict state control. Lawmakers are to pass the bill while the committee will work on details regulating the new uses of marijuana extracts in a new ministerial law of the Public Health Ministry.

Public Health Minster Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn will consider the draft before forwarding it to the cabinet for approval. This will allow the NLA to start the first reading of the bill in the law enactment process.

The draft was yesterday evening tabled for discussion between his ministry and other state agencies and “will go on as planned to the cabinet on Nov 13”, said Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Prajin Juntong.

The law on marijuana uses has been separated from the narcotics bill for speedy consideration as the latter, also currently being deliberated by the NLA, is more complicated and is set to finish by February of next year.

Being pushed ahead on the fast track, “the bill may take about one month to enforce”, FDA secretary-general Tares Krassanairawiwong said. The ministerial law is also expected to be completed at around the same time, he said.

According to NLA member Somchai Swangkarn, the draft bill on marijuana deals mainly with the acceptable possession of marijuana for treatments and a new authority of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board to determine “areas where marijuana can be used or possessed”, as well as plantation areas.