BANGKOK, June 15 (TNA) – The Department of Mental Health has seriously warned three groups of people to definitely stay away from cannabis. It has opened its hotline number 1667 to advise on safe cannabis use for medical purposes.
Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak, director-general of the department, said that the Ministry of Public Health decriminalized cannabis on June 9 for health and medical benefits and seriously advised people to properly use cannabis for treatment to protect themselves from undesirable effects and addiction.
She said that cannabis and hemp must not be sold to young people, pregnant women and the mothers who were breastfeeding. Cannabis extract could harm fetuses and babies if their mothers consumed it, the director-general said.
Besides, cannabis must be carefully used with people with underlying and severe mental illnesses to prevent side effects, Dr Amporn said.
She warned that the children and teenagers who consumed cannabis faced higher risks of addiction and negative impacts on their brain development, intelligence, rationality and self-restraint. (TNA)
