One of the leading researchers of medical marijuana in Thailand had his headquarters raided last week.
The raid, carried out by Thai police, military, and drug officials, seized over 200 marijuana plants and other cannabis by-products.
Decha Siripat, who is the president of Khao Kwan Foundation, which fights on behalf of Thai rice farmers against monopolization of rice seeds, oversees the lab.
He has been asked to report to police upon his arrival home from Laos where he is currently on a study tour.
According to those who know him, Decha has researched medical marijuana for decades and has used himself as a guinea pig for testing.
After discovering that medical marijuana was a viable treatment for certain ailments, he began distributing his marijuana to temples who could then give it away for free to patients.
Former Thai senator Rosana Tositrakul stated that the raid should not have taken place considering marijuana had been removed from the List of Category 5 narcotic drugs under the new amendments to Thailand’s Narcotics Act, which legalized medical marijuana in the country.
Rosana posited that the sting may be an action on behalf of those who want to monopolize the burgeoning legal medical marijuana industry in Thailand.
Thailand drug attorneys point out that while yes, medical cannabis has been legalized, those who wish to research it, possess it, distribute it, or use it must first obtain a license from the government or medical professional before doing so.
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