‘Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
― Robert Frost, American poet
Now that the borders are open again, many Malaysians are heading to Thailand for holidays.
One of the reasons is that Thailand is near to Malaysia. The main draw is, of course, the Thai food. For instance, who doesn’t love Thai Tom Yam or Som Tham (Papaya Salad) or Thai Green Chicken Curry?
However, nowadays, if you are in Thailand, do watch what you eat or drink there.
You see, ever since Thailand legalised cannabis on June 9 this year, many shops there have begun selling items that are infused with cannabis. Thailand is the first country in Asia and the third in the word, after Canada and Uruguay to decriminalize cannabis nationwide.
But cannabis remains an illicit drug in Malaysia and Singapore. For instance, Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952 in Malaysia prohibits the possession of cannabis, an offence punishable with imprisonment of up to five years, or a fine not exceeding RM20,000. However, products containing cannabis used for medicinal purposes can be imported and used in Malaysia if the product is in compliance with the law.
Recently, in a story carried by the World of Buzz on the internet, a Singaporean woman said her family decided to have a meal at the eatery located in the hotel when they went for a vacation in Thailand.
She shared she ordered a bowl of soup noodles and when the dish came, it turned out to be “a really good bowl of soup noodles.”
When she wanted to order the same thing again, to her surprise, she realised that next to the name of her dish was a tiny marijuana leaf symbol.
“That’s when I knew the bowl of soup noodles contains marijuana,” she said.
She pointed out that the description of the food did not mention anything about containing marijuana. She thought that the leaf on the bowl of soup noodles was kangkung (water spinach), so she ate it!
The news report quoted the Singapore home affairs minister as saying “involuntary or unknowing consumption of drugs is usually not an offence.”
Nevertheless, he urged Singaporeans to be wary of what they were consuming while on vacation.
Meanwhile, the Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore stated that investigations would be held if urine tests returned positive, regardless of how the illicit drug had been consumed.
Do you know that generally, there is no difference between marijuana and cannabis and the two terms are often used to describe the same thing?
Cannabis actually describes cannabis products in general while
marijuana specifically refers to cannabis products that are made from the dried flowers, leaves, stems and seeds of the cannabis plant.
Since Thailand legalised cannabis, resourceful businessmen in the country have resorted to producing cannabis-laced drinks. And these, according to Malaysian tourists, are readily available at convenience stores for as low as RM2.
A few Malaysian dailies have reported that the beverages are sold in bottles with designs meant to attract youth. The beverages were described by some customers as delicious with a dizzying and slight mind altering side effects.
Medical expert Dr Abu Hasan Samad advised the public not to drink the beverages as they were part of an unregulated industry and might result in manufacturers adding extra additives. He said cannabis consumption could lead to psychomotor impairment.
Independent criminologist Shahrul Hamid Abdul Rahim, meanwhile, warned the public not to try the beverages for fear of violating the law which dictates that a positive result in drug test falls under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 that results in a fine up to RM5,000 and a two-year jail term or both.
The Malaysian embassy in Thailand has also warned citizens not to re-enter the country with psychoactive drugs as they could be arrested and charged under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for being under the influence or in possession of cannabis.
It pointed out that from June 14 this year, any product containing cannabis extracts with less than 0.2 per cent of tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive ingredient, could be used for medicinal purposes in Thailand. Anything more than that was considered illegal.
An embassy spokesman told theSun, “It is important to note that the Thai government is promoting cannabis for medical use only. Therefore, we do not encourage people to visit Thailand to use cannabis for recreation purposes.”
According to theSun, since the legalisation of cannabis, many business operators in Thailand have included its extract in their products –from milk tea to toothpaste.
Therefore, my friends, if you are in Thailand, watch what you eat or drink. Remember it is better to be safe than to be sorry.
