A bill to regulate the wider use of cannabis in Thailand has been sent back to the drafting committee for further revision, reports Bloomberg.

The bill that had passed its first reading in June was rejected by lawmakers in the House of Representatives that voted 198 to 136 in favour of sending the bill back to the drafting committee for further revision. The largest opposition party Pheu Thai and Democrat party spoke out against the bill following a public outcry over the growing number of outlets selling cannabis products across the country after Thailand decriminalized marijuana. The parties said they would continue to vote against any future bills unless a revised version clamped down on recreational smoking, reports Bloomberg.
“The bill doesn’t control cannabis but even promotes it, leaving room for its use to stray from medical to extremely recreational,” said Sutin Klangsang, a lawmaker from Pheu Thai. “We’re afraid that children and people will smoke it and become addicted.”
The cannabis and hemp bill aims to give the government more control over the industry and could be reintroduced in November, according to Bloomberg.