A Thai man reportedly spent nearly 48 hours on a roof in protest after his family would not allow him to smoke marijuana.
The man, 42-year-old Kantaphi, was described by his wife as a “weed addict.” To curb his addiction, Kantaphi’s wife sent him to stay with his father in the Kantharalak district to “starve him of marijuana.”
On Sunday, Kantaphi purportedly asked his father, 65-year-old Sathien Panyakom, for marijuana. His father told him that he did not have any, prompting the disgruntled Kantaphi to climb to the roof of his father’s house at around 8:30 p.m.
Despite neighbors and friends’ attempts to persuade Kantaphi to come down, he refused. The sheriff of the Kantharalak district Sukit Luangsakulthai was notified on Wednesday, and he visited the home at 3 p.m. to convince Kantaphi. However, he too failed to convince the 42-year-old.
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After nearly 48 hours on the roof, Kantaphi became “too hot and too hungry” and climbed down around 6 p.m. on Wednesday. He was taken to the hospital for a checkup after appearing “weak.”
According to Sathien, Kantaphi works as a trader in Bangkok. The father referenced his son’s addiction as a warning against taking drugs.
“I would like to warn people that marijuana and ya ba [literally translates to ‘crazy medicine’ in Thai] are bad. Don’t try them, it’s easy to get addicted. Drug addicts have hallucinations then they kill their parents, hurt their children and partner or burn their houses down. I’ve seen it in the news, but never thought drugs would affect my life like this,” Kantaphi’s father was quoted as saying.
On Jun. 9, Thailand became the first country in Asia as well as the third in the world after Canada and Uruguay to legalize marijuana nationwide. The Thai government stated that marijuana may only be used legally for medical purposes although many food and beverage establishments are offering edibles and cannabis-infused drinks.
People may also grow marijuana at home as long as it is of medical grade and medicinal purposes. Cannabis products must contain less than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive ingredient that induces the sensation of feeling high.
Featured Image: ThaiRath
