Anutin denies seeking Thaksin’s intervention over marijuana
Minister said the weekend meeting was only to play golf, claims Srettha had offered to deal with the issue himself
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul denied he had asked ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to help stop the government’s planned recriminalisation of marijuana while they were playing golf over the weekend.
Anutin, who also doubles as deputy PM, met Thaksin at a resort near Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima over the weekend, leading to speculation that he may ask the Pheu Thai patriarch to intervene in the marijuana issue.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, who hails from Pheu Thai, had announced that he would seek approval from the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) for the relisting of marijuana and hemp as narcotics and would issue directives to outlaw them later this year.
Bhumjaithai leader Anutin, who managed to get marijuana and hemp decriminalised while he was public health minister two years ago, expressed dissatisfaction over the Interior Ministry’s plan to recriminalize the plants.
Anutin pointed out that the Public Health Ministry committee which voted to outlaw the two plants was the exact same panel that voted to decriminalise them.
On Tuesday, Anutin said he had met Thaksin at his Rancho Charnee Resort to only play golf.
“We did not discuss this matter at all because it is not his [Thaksin’s] responsibility,” Anutin responded when asked if he had raised the recriminalisation issue with Thaksin.
“The marijuana issue is a matter that falls under the responsibility of NCB and the Public Health Ministry. It has nothing to do with the government as a whole either.”
When the reporters asked him again if he had asked Thaksin to intervene, Anutin replied: “No need. Can’t I clear it myself?”
However, he said, he had met and spoken to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin about his dissatisfaction with he fact that the Public Health Ministry was trying to get the two plants outlawed again.
“The prime minister just told me to keep quiet and said he would deal with it himself,” Anutin added.
The minister said he had called to thank Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, who is also deputy PM, for slamming the Public Health Ministry committee that approved the decriminalisation of ganja for changing its stance under a new public health minister.
Pirapan, who chairs NCB, indicated that he would vote against the recriminalisation of ganja, saying the authorities will have to present very good reasons for outlawing the plant again.
“I’ve called to thank him and he said he was also wondering why the same panel had changed its stance under a new minister,” Anutin said.
He added that if the Public Health Ministry can prove without a doubt that the society would be harmed by marijuana more than standing to gain from it, he would be willing to back off from his opposition.
Anutin went on to say that he had met Srettha because a key member of a coalition partner had made him feel uneasy, but stopped short of saying he may have been referring to Somsak.
