Prior to the enforcement of the 1930s legislation, Marijuana's use for treatment was in the practical use of traditional healers. Perhaps this public acceptance of the medical use of Marijuana is the reason why the representatives of the people in the National Legislative Assembly first proposed the bill to legalise cannabis' use for medical purposes and ultimately passed it with the majority of 166-0. The bill stated the recent studies which show the clinical benefits of Marijuana and thus supported its legalisation for medical use.
However, the permission to the use of Marijuana is not absolute. According to the bill that legalised Marijuana in Thailand, the producers, the suppliers, and the researches will have to seek licenses for possession of the drugs with them, whereas the users will be required to have medical prescriptions to use it. The use of Marijuana for recreational purposes, or its use without a medical prescription stating it, is still prohibited under law, and the violation of which shall still be rewarded with fines and imprisonments, based on the quantity of the drug found with the offender.
Another change brought about by the Act is an increase in the membership number of National Narcotics Control Committee to twenty-five, which was earlier seventeen. All these amendments, made by the latest Narcotics Act, will come into the function when published in the Royal Gazette. The process can take up to four months for completion.
