Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt issued an announcement today (Wednesday) declaring all 436 schools under its supervision to be cannabis-free zones, effective today.

The announcement mandates the following:

• No sale or advertising of food, drinks or desserts containing cannabis at schools.
• School administrators and staff should be role models for students by refraining from using cannabis or hemp and must closely watch their students to prevent them from using either.
• Educate students about the health risks of cannabis, hemp and their extracts.
• Seek help from parents by monitoring shops around schools, to make sure they do not sell cannabis or hemp or food or drinks which contain either of the two.

The measure follows a report of the hospitalisations of four people after reportedly having used cannabis, with one dying of heart failure.

Thailand decriminalised cannabis and hemp on June 9^th, with the exception of cannabis extracts exceeding 0.2% THC by weight. There is currently no law in place regulating use, except for public nuisance violations in the case of smoking marijuana in public. This has led to a boom in recreational cannabis use, despite the government’s aim to exploit the plants for medical purposes.

The Lower House overwhelmingly passed the first reading of the Bhumjaithai party’s Cannabis and Hemp Bill on June 8^th, which will legalise controlled use, production, sale, import and export of cannabis, hemp and their extracts. The Bill will, however, need to go through more vetting in Parliament.