Last updated on September 26th, 2023 at 08:59 am
Yuenyong “Ad Carabao” Opakul recently used the stage to voice his thoughts on the Public Health Ministry’s stance on medical marijuana. The popular singer and frontman of the band Cabarao told a packed crowd, estimated to be over 3,000, that he thought the current approach to marijuana being taken by the ministry was stupid.
He advocated for increased marijuana liberalization and allowing people to grow their own cannabis.
Ad Carabao hasn’t always felt this way. He says that his views have evolved as he educated himself more on the subject.
He said that at one point he believed the anti-marijuana propaganda and thought marijuana users were likely to become addicted to the drug and that many people died from using it.
As he began to learn more about the medicinal uses of marijuana and educating himself on how cannabis works, he began to see that his previous views were not in line with these new facts.
“Times have changed and now the world and all Thais know ganja is not an addictive drug and instead it is medicine,” Ad Carabao told the crowd.
The Public Health Ministry has received similar feedback from other critics who feel that their licensing process benefited a narrow group of growers and harvesters.
Ad Carabao and other cannabis proponents seek changes to the licensing process that would allow Thais to grow their own marijuana rather than having to purchase cannabis products from retailers.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry stands behind their more cautious approach. They say that by controlling the number of authorized growers, the ministry can focus on product quality and consistency. Given that marijuana is only authorized for medical purposes, the ministry feels an obligation to ensure that consumers are getting accurate dosage.
