Government liberalises sale and possession of category II narcotics

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020
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A new Public Health Ministry regulation allows the sale and possession of category II narcotics under the Narcotic Act BE 2522 (1979).

An announcement to the effect was published in the Royal Gazette website on Monday.
Category II comprises 102 ordinary narcotics, such as morphine, cocaine, codeine, medicinal opium, and fresh opium.
Under the ministerial regulation, the permit to sell category II narcotics will be granted to applicants for the following purposes:
▪︎ Medical treatment or disease prevention in patients or animals;
▪︎ Medical or scientific analysis or study;
▪︎ For the benefit of the government.
The permit to possess category II narcotics will be granted to applicants for the following purposes:
▪︎ Manufacturing of category III narcotics, which are in the form of medicinal formula and contain narcotics of category II as ingredients in accordance with the rules prescribed by the minister, such as cough medicine, diarrhoea medicine;
▪︎ Used as an example for educational purposes;
▪︎ Medical or scientific analysis or study;
▪︎ For the benefit of the government;
▪︎ For providing first aid or in case of emergency in public transport ships or aeroplanes operating on international routes that are registered in the Kingdom.
This regulation will be effective 240 days after the date of announcement in the Royal Gazette.