Thai PM Agrees on Legislating Cannabis Use
The Thai PM, Mr Srettha Thavisin, has agreed on legislating cannabis use, revealing another U-turn on the previously suggested full re-criminalisation policy.
Cannabis will be controlled via through legislation instead of being re-listed as a narcotic, according to Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul whose Bhumjaithai Party has advocated long-term for the decriminalisation of cannabis for economic and medical uses.
He commented after talks with PM, Mr Srettha and Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin last week. The matter will now be debated in parliament where a draft law has already been presented.
Thailand became one of the first countries in Asia in 2022 to decriminalise cannabis. Still, in the absence of clear regulations to prevent its recreational usage, there was a boom in cannabis cafes and shops, alongside concern about its abuse.
A bill was subsequently drafted to regulate cannabis use but it failed to be passed before an election was called in 2023.
The current Pheu Thai Party government has contended that the recreational use of cannabis would be prohibited again under new regulations. PM
Mr Srettha had earlier stated that cannabis would be placed back on the narcotics list, except for medicinal use and research purposes. Officials were given until the end of the year to draft the required regulations.
What Does the Cannabis Industry Look Like in Thailand?
Thailand has experienced fast growth in domestic retail when it comes to cannabis, with thousands of shops and businesses opening in the past two years. The industry is currently projected to be worth up to 2 billion by 2025.
Bhumjaithai, the second-biggest party in the current government coalition, has always been in favour of cannabis for health and economic purposes, but not recreational use, and as such they have argued against re-criminalising it. The government will now debate strategies for a draft bill to fully regulate the Thai cannabis industry.
Suggested guidelines to recriminalise cannabis have already been drafted and put forward but they have not yet cleared the Narcotics Control Board. Mr Anutin had pledged to vote against the scheme as a member of the board. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board had suggested making the changes effective from Jan 1, 2025, to give a few months grace period to entrepreneurs worried about their legal position and who would need to apply for new licences.
The new rules would restrict the possession, import and sale of cannabis flower and resin without a licence issued by the Ministry of Public Health. Cannabis seeds as well as leaves, roots, fibre and stems that contained low-level THC would not be re-criminalised.
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Liz Filmer
