Humans are supposed to be the most intelligent animal, yet this intelligence seems to fade when it comes to dealing with cannabis. Throughout the known human history of 12,000 years, we find that this plant, known as cannabis, hemp, bhaang, dugga, marijuana, vijaya, and numerous other names, is beyond the comprehension of humans.
Even after more than twelve thousand years of association, humans are still confused about whether this plant is a friend or a foe. It has been made legal and illegal so many times that it has become a perfect example of the fallacy of human intelligence.
Humans despise confusion, yet this plant not only creates confusion in the mind after consumption but also breeds confusion without being consumed. Humans want this plant to behave according to their dictates, yet time and again, it refuses to comply.
Egyptians, Italians, Germans, and supposedly super-intelligent Americans, who made this plant legal tender during their struggle for freedom, attempted to eradicate it from the face of the earth through the United Nations in 1961 by enacting laws against its use. However, intelligence and greed do not blend seamlessly.
In 1963, the discovery of the “THC” compound by Raphael Mechoulam, dubbed as “satan,” and its subsequent relation with the endocannabinoid system in the human body further perplexed mankind. American greed recognized the potential of cannabis as a medicine after discovering that Phytocannabinoids present in the plant interact with the endocannabinoids present in the human body.
Thailand saw an opportunity in cannabis as a supporter of its sex tourism; it decriminalized the use of cannabis on 9 June 2022. Cafes and restaurants were permitted to serve cannabis with THC levels less than 0.2 percent. Currently, anyone older than 20 and not pregnant or breastfeeding is legally allowed to use cannabis within their residences, and food containing its extracts can be consumed inside licensed restaurants.
Today, on 06 Feb 2024, the new Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, announced that very soon they are going to bring a law to ban cannabis in Thailand. I do not know how many times this story of “banning and allowing cannabis” will continue; only the place and time change, but the story remains the same.
Kudos to Hemp, you are a perfect mirror of the human mind, which is filled with greed and fear.
