Majority of Thais Support Medical Marijuana Use, According to New Poll

A majority of Thais–72%–believe that cannabis should be legalized for medical use across the country, according to a poll carried out by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).

The Nida poll asked 1,250 Thai people of a wide range of backgrounds and socioeconomic levels about their thoughts marijuana use for medical purposes. The poll comes in the wake of a Thai government proposal that should see medical marijuana legalized in the South East Asian country for limited medicinal purposes.

The 72% who were in favor of legalizing medical weed pointed to other countries with similar laws as their primary justification for supporting the idea. Of the 24% who dissented to the measure, most said that medical marijuana would allow for rampant use of the drug, which the government could have a difficult time controlling.

Just over half of the respondents (52%) believed that medical marijuana should only be allowed to be used in certain locations, such as hospitals, clinics, or other designated areas. While only 20% called for educating young Thais on the benefits and risks.

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