Comparative Analysis of Marijuana Criminal Law in Indonesia and Thailand
Insights for Narcotics Law Reform
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24252/al-risalah.v26i2.69299Keywords:
Comparative law, Narcotics Criminal Law, Marijuana, Indonesia, ThailandAbstract
This study aims to analyze the factors influencing differences in criminal law policies on marijuana between Indonesia and Thailand, and to assess the relevance of this comparison as a basis for reforming narcotics criminal law in Indonesia. The novelty of this research lies in its integration of comparative normative legal analysis to examine both the criminalization policy of marijuana and its implications for drug law reform, contributing theoretically to the development of comparative criminal law scholarship in the Southeast Asian context. The method used is comparative normative legal analysis with legislative, conceptual, and comparative approaches. The legal analysis reveals that policy differences between the two countries are shaped by five interrelated factors: legal history and normative construction, legal and regulatory basis, institutional capacity and implementation, political considerations and national interests, and socio-cultural factors and community stigma. The comparison holds significant relevance for Indonesian legal reform in three areas: reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, strengthening non-penal and rehabilitative mechanisms, and enhancing human rights-based accountability in narcotics law enforcement. Thailand's experience both its success in legalizing medical marijuana and the failure of its repressive war on drugs constitutes a valuable empirical reference that demonstrates how evidence-based legal reform can produce more equitable and effective narcotics policy outcomes.
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