The call was made during a recent discussion to review the use of cannabis and its impact on people’s health after the plant was removed from the narcotics list in June 2022, reports the Bangkok Post.
Bundit Sornpaisarn, a staff scientist at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Canada, said data collected from the Ministry of Public Health in one tourism province showed that cannabis usage has had a significant impact on people’s health over the past three years.
The data showed that the number of people suffering from cannabis poisoning had increased 3.5 times compared to the August 2019-June 2022 period, when it was classified as a narcotic, jumping from 40 to 115 cases per month on average.
Mr Bundit said the number of patients hospitalised as a result of using cannabis had skyrocketed from zero to 90 in the province within two years of being legalised. Of that number, he said, 80% were foreigners.
“The impact of cannabis on tourism is that high-spending tourists try to avoid experiencing the unpleasant smell of cannabis on the street,” he said.
“However, there is a huge number of low-spending tourists who are happy with the relatively free and open cannabis policy in Thailand.”
Dr Tappana Sumpatanarax of Vachira Phuket Hospital said that in Phuket’s Thalang district, the number of patients hospitalised due to being adversely affected by using the plant as a recreational drug had increased sevenfold, to the point where they now outnumber amphetamine abuse victims.
He said the hospital’s medical staff had to contend with more aggressive patients as a result of cannabis consumption. Meanwhile, 10 of 12 beds at the hospital for mentally ill patients are now reserved for cannabis users, Dr Tappana added.
Yodsakorn Khunphakdee, coordinator of Youth Network Against Cannabis, said it is clear the government has made a mistake on its cannabis policy as it is unable to contain it within the bounds of medical use due to a lack of effective regulations.
“Our network wants to see cannabis on the narcotics list, and the new government should clarify if it will be used for medical treatment or recreational use,” he said.