Cannabis advocates settled in for a long rally outside the Public Health Ministry in Nonthaburi province on Monday, protesting against perceived moves to recriminalise it.
Members of the Writing Thailand’s Cannabis Future Network planned a prolonged stay, despite objections from the ministry.
Cannabis network secretary-general Prasitchai Nunuan said Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin’s comments during an interview last week implied that cannabis would be recriminalised.
If cannabis was put back on the category five list, many related businesses would be seriously affected, he said.
The demonstrators planned to stay overnight outside the health ministry and he expected cannabis shop owners would join the demonstration. They had started their businesses following the decriminalisation of cannabis three years ago.
The demonstrators' petition was received by Thanakrit Jit-areerat, secretary to the health minister, who said there was no plan to recriminalise cannabis.
The ministry would not allow the demonstrators to prolong the rally, he said.
Health Minister Somsak said that at this stage he was only trying to control cannabis use. Without strict controls, cannabis would be abused and cause problems for the public in general, he said.
