Last updated on June 25th, 2024 at 09:18 am
- Driving The News: Dr. Chintana Manonrompatrasan calls for stringent cannabis regulations, emphasizing the need to hold parents and sellers accountable for youth usage.
- Why It Matters: Proper regulation of cannabis is crucial to protect youth while ensuring that patients can still access its medical benefits.
- The Big Picture: Balancing strict control measures with the benefits of cannabis as a medicinal herb requires careful legislative action and public education.
BANGKOK, THAILAND – On June 23, Dr. CHINTANA MANONROMPATRASAN, a rehabilitation medicine specialist, called for stringent cannabis regulations to protect children and ensure responsible use. She emphasized the importance of holding parents and sellers accountable when children are found using cannabis, rather than reclassifying it as a narcotic, which she believes would hinder patients’ access to its medical benefits.
Dr. Chintana highlighted the medicinal properties of cannabis, noting its use in pain relief, muscle relaxation, sleep enhancement, appetite stimulation, immune balance, and cancer treatment. “Cannabis should be viewed as a valuable medicinal herb, not just a drug. It has been part of Thai tradition for treating various ailments,” she said.
She stressed that reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic would be a step backward, affecting not only patients but also healthcare providers who rely on it for treatment. “Proper control is essential. We need laws that ensure cannabis is used responsibly and does not reach children. This includes regulating sales locations, enforcing age restrictions, and ensuring sellers are licensed,” Dr. Chintana added.
Dr. Chintana proposed specific measures to prevent youth access to cannabis, such as prohibiting sales near schools and ensuring sellers verify buyers’ ages. She argued that comprehensive laws and strict enforcement are the keys to addressing the issue. “If children are found using cannabis, parents should be held accountable, and we need to track where the cannabis was purchased and hold those sellers accountable too,” she said.
She warned against the implications of reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic, stating that it would eliminate a critical treatment option for many patients. “We need to focus on responsible use and effective regulation. Making it a narcotic again would be a missed opportunity for those who benefit from its medicinal properties,” Dr. Chintana concluded.
Contributing Sources: Ch7 News
