Thailand is flipping the script again on cannabis! Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul just announced that the government is back to working on legalizing cannabis for medical use. This move means they’re backing off plans to make cannabis illegal again, marking yet another change in the country’s ever-evolving cannabis policy.
Back in 2022, Thailand shocked everyone by decriminalizing cannabis, making it one of the first countries in Asia to do so. But they did this without putting any clear rules in place to keep recreational use in check. The result? An explosion of cannabis cafes and retailers, and a lot of public worry about misuse. Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party was all about this move at first, but then they tried to bring in a bill to regulate cannabis use. Unfortunately, it didn’t get past the first reading before the elections hit.
Fast forward to now, and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has jumped on board with the idea of legislating cannabis use instead of making it illegal again. Anutin thanked the PM for deciding to go the legislative route. This decision came after some chats with the Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin and other bigwigs.
The new government, led by the Pheu Thai Party, still says no to recreational cannabis, but they’re working on new rules to keep things in check. Earlier, Srettha talked about putting cannabis back on the narcotics list but with exceptions for medical use and research. They’ve got until the end of the year to sort out these new rules.
In the meantime, the cannabis market in Thailand has blown up, with tons of new shops and businesses popping up. The industry is expected to be worth up to $2 billion by 2025! The Bhumjaithai Party still stands firm on using cannabis for health and economic benefits, not for fun, and they’re against making it illegal again.
Anutin mentioned that the government would soon discuss plans for a draft bill to regulate the cannabis industry. Political parties might even get their own drafts into parliament. There’s already talk of re-criminalising cannabis, but these plans haven’t cleared the Narcotics Control Board yet. Anutin, who’s on the board, promised to vote against it.
Stay tuned as Thailand navigates this wild ride with cannabis legislation!
