|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Thailand backs laws approving medical cannabis and same-sex unions John Reed Financial Times Wednesday 26 Dec 2018 Thailand’s outgoing military government has approved bills legalising medical marijuana and same-sex civil unions, putting the south-east Asian country ahead of most of its neighbours in legal reforms on both fronts before a February election. The bill on medical cannabis is set to become law shortly, but the bill on same-sex partnerships is likely to require final approval by a new parliament that takes power after the election on February 24. Both measures were approved on Tuesday. The law on medical marijuana, which allows possession of a “necessary amount” of marijuana for medical treatment, was passed overwhelmingly by Thailand’s National Assembly. The law allows possession of marijuana for research, agricultural, commercial, scientific and industrial purposes, but the kingdom’s strict bans on recreational use or trafficking of marijuana remains in place. Somchai Sawangkarn, chairman of the drafting committee for the law, described it as a “New Year’s gift from the assembly to the government and the Thai people”. The bill will enter law once it is approved by Thailand’s monarchy and published in the Royal Gazette. South Korea became the first country in Asia to approve medical marijuana last month. Separately, Thailand’s cabinet approved a bill allowing same-sex couples to register civil partnerships. If the bill enters law, it will make the politically conservative but socially relaxed country the first in Asia to approve civil unions. Taiwanese lawmakers are also considering allowing partnerships for LGBT people, but voters recently rejected gay marriage in a referendum. Under Thailand’s civil partnership bill, couples must be at least 20 years old and one of them must be Thai to register as a couple. Human rights groups have criticised the bill for falling short of full marriage equality, and it makes no provision for LGBT people to adopt. Thailand’s civil code allows LGBT people to adopt children individually, but not as couples. A civil servant involved in drafting the law told the Financial Times last month that final approval of the bill would be likely to fall to the next government. Thailand’s current parliament is due to stop working on February 15. The kingdom’s ruling military junta, which seized power in a coup in 2014, is seeking to retain power via proxy politicians under a new constitution that will give it an upper hand in forming the next government. The US and EU have been urging Thailand’s prime minister, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, to hold the vote, which has been repeatedly postponed. “It seems like they are rushing through anything and everything to promote their popularity when they are paving the way to elections,” Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of the faculty of political science at Ubon Ratchathani University, said of the flurry of year-end lawmaking by the junta. “The intention is to send out a message to the international community and to defend themselves against accusations of not respecting human rights,” Mr Titipol added. https://www.ft.com/content/a282f252-08c0-11e9-9fe8-acdb36967cfc
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!