r/CannabisThailand Newsletter - Issue #31

A Charnvirakul always pays his debts

Feb 05, 2023

Sawadee Everyone,

Minister of Public Health and potential future prime minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, has a slightly different spin on the quote from Game of Thrones, “A Lannister always pays his debts.”

Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, the president of the Rural Doctors Society, who has been a very critical and a loud voice against the legalization of cannabis was suddenly reassigned to a new post at Saba Yoi Hospital.

Apparently this was not a promotion as he and many other anti-cannabis doctors are none too happy about Supart being sent to the border region of Thailand.

However, it looks like Anutin isn’t the only one with a bone to pick with the good doctor as his transfer was also thought to have been pushed by the Democrat and Palang Pracharath Party who he has also seemingly angered due to his activism on other non-cannabis related issues.

In unrelated Anutin news, in what is widely seen as some headline grabbing before the next election, Anutin has vowed to consider any possession of more than one tablet of yaba the same as distribution where the possible penalties go all the way up to the death penalty.

It speaks to the absurdity of the drug laws around the world as no country has eliminated drug use via harsh punishments. At best, all these laws do is drive use underground where people are less likely to seek treatment.

In other news, Taiwanese actress Charlene An's story about being shaken down by Thai police for having a vape was confirmed by the cops accused of demanding the bribe.

That was followed by some Chinese tourists in Pattaya being told they need to cough up an eye watering 60,000 baht for vaping.

Though the tourists were able to get the “fine” reduced to 30,000 baht, the news has set off a firestorm on Thai social media as people debate why the police are frequently caught extorting money from tourists and others calling for an end to the laws which effectively make possession of vaping products illegal.

If such a ban was lifted, it would be a major boon to the cannabis industry as dry herb vapes would shed their questionable legal status and become perfectly legal.

This would (hopefully) lead to less people smoking cannabis in public and more people using cannabis vape products which would help eliminate some of the weed smell many people have been complaining about in places like Bangkok and Pattaya.

The idea of legalizing vaping was shot down as recently as just last year but catching agents of the government in corruption tends to have a funny effect on politicians.

Until next week . . .

Cheers,

u/CannabisThailandMod