Legalisation of cannabis worries most Thais, many see political links

Suan Dusit Poll collected opinions from a random group of 2,390 people between June 20 and 23. The results were announced on Sunday by researcher Pornphan Buathong.

In the poll, respondents were asked if they were concerned about cannabis being legalised on June 9. Of the respondents, 32.85 per cent said they were “very concerned”, 37.78 per cent were “rather concerned”, 16.27 per cent said they were “rather unconcerned” and 13.10 per cent were “not concerned at all”.

When asked if they thought legalisation would have more pros than cons, 52.76 per cent said cons would outweigh pros, 30.17 per cent said there would be as many pros as cons, while 17.07 per cent said the pros would outdo cons.

As for listing their concerns about the legalisation of ganja, 84.58 per cent said people still lack knowledge of correct usage, 82.16 per cent are worried children will have easy access to the drug, while 73.73 per cent pointed out that there is still no law regulating the use of marijuana. Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer to this question.

As for ideas on what can be done to control consumption, 88.38 per cent said children and youth should be prohibited from using the herb and it should not be available anywhere near schools. Meanwhile, 82.26 per cent proposed that the authorities provide correct information about ganja and closely monitor its usage in public areas. Of the respondents, 81.67 per cent also proposed a ban on exaggerated claims and ads related to marijuana.

When asked to name the pros of cannabis, 74.96 per cent said it was good for medical purposes, 46.46 per cent said it can be used as a cash crop, while 45.38 per cent said it could help keep some people out of the hospital.

Meanwhile, a resounding 60.54 per cent believe the legalisation of marijuana is related to politics, 27.99 per cent said it was “somewhat” related, while the remainder saw no link at all.