Assoc Prof Kuakarun Krusong, a lecturer of biochemistry at the university’s faculty of science, conducted a study which found that about 30% of randomly chosen samples contained more than the 0.015 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of drink limit set by the Public Health Ministry, Bangkok Post reported today (June 19).
So far, the authorities have not given any recommendation on how much of the substance can safely be consumed per day or what adverse effects of doing so may follow, she said, adding that long-term studies on the effect of cannabis consumption have yet to be completed.
"Vendors do not know the THC limit per serving. Even those that do cannot control the amount precisely. The process also varies from one vendor to another," Assoc Prof Kuakarun said.
Meanwhile, Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, banned use of cannabis in foodstuffs and drinks on the university’s premises.
The use of cannabis and hemp as an ingredient is forbidden, as is the advertising of cannabis-based products, an announcement said. Also, those who receive services at the university, including staff and students, are not allowed to use cannabis recreationally.
Most Thai support weed legalisation
In a separate story, Bangkok Post reported that "a majority of people agree with the removal of cannabis from the Category 5 narcotics list".
Yet the majority in the survey by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) is only 58.55%. Of them, 34.81% strongly agreed, saying it is an valuable plant that can generate income and be used for medical purposes. Another 23.74% were in moderate agreement, saying the plant is more useful than harmful.
On the other side, 41.45% were in total disagreement – with 24.98% saying it is harmful to children and youths and the government has not been able to control its use. Another 16.56% were in moderate disagreement, saying use of ganja is hazardous to health.
Asked whether they worried about improper use of cannabis among children and youths, 42.44% said "yes", a lot; 29.62% said "yes", to a certain extent; 16.95% were not at all worried; and 10.99% were somewhat concerned.
Asked how Thai people would use marijuana in the future, 34.05% chose medical purposes; 31.15% recreational purposes; 22.21% for use in food and drinks; and 12.59% for various commercial products.
Asked about their experience with cannabis, 67.02% said they had no experience with it at all, while 32.98% (432 respondents) said they had some experience with it.
Of those with experience, 30.56% said they smoked marijuana; 21.06% used it for medical purposes; 6.94% had cultivated the plant; 1.39% had produced cannabis-based products for commercial purposes; and 0.23% had been involved in the trade of it.
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