The ONCB is preparing to submit a resolution to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic to the board by the end of July.

ONCB, ONCB prepares to submit the resolution to return cannabis to being a narcotic to the board by the end of July, confirming that 'seeds' do not contain THC, which is a narcotic, and can be unlocked, but there will be a ministerial regulation to control its use and cultivation. After the Narcotics Control Board, Ministry of Public Health resolved to return cannabis and hemp to be a Category 5 narcotic drug to the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) for further resolution, the change will take effect on January 1, 2025. Mr. Mana Siripittayawat, Deputy Secretary-General of the ONCB, said that since the process of announcing the names of narcotics in Category 5 according to the Narcotics Code stipulates that the designation of which narcotics will be in which category must first be approved by the Narcotics Control Board, the Ministry of Public Health will submit the resolution of the Narcotics Control Board to the Minister of Public Health for signature and send to the ONCB to submit to the ONCB board, which w ill meet at the end of this month, to consider whether to agree or not and if there are any additional points, in order to return the resolution to the Ministry of Public Health for submission to the Minister of Public Health for consideration and signing the announcement in the Royal Gazette to take effect on January 1, 2025, so that those with previous licenses can adjust and apply for licenses in accordance with the new law. Furthermore, cannabis is an annual plant, so it is set to take 3-4 months before the plant dies, and replanting must be done correctly first. The deputy secretary-general of the ONCB added that the return of cannabis and hemp to being considered narcotics will be similar to the way they were before the ban, except for seeds that were previously considered narcotics, but this time the seeds are not narcotics, and parts with low THC content, such as bark, leaves, roots, fibers, and branches, are not narcotics. Therefore, there is concern about cannabis seeds, which the Ministry of Publi c Health will specify in the ministerial regulation on permission to grow after cannabis is designated as a narcotic. As for flower buds and resin, they are definitely narcotics. The law prohibits their possession, importation, or distribution, unless permitted by the licensor, which the Ministry of Public Health will issue further regulations on who can apply for permission. In principle, the Minister of Public Health will be the one to determine, with a drafting committee and the ONCB board to assist in overseeing. If cannabis is returned to being a narcotic, it will only be used for medical purposes, which requires permission. If it is used recreationally, the ONCB will have to prosecute and arrest. Cannabis business shops must also pass the conditions for requesting permission, according to the framework of the new ministerial regulation, allowing sales only for medical purposes. Source: Thai News Agency