The Thai government is preparing to recriminalize cannabis, plunging an industry estimated at more than a billion dollars into uncertainty, which has been booming since its declassification as a narcotic in 2022. This is what Reuters reports on Wednesday, June 25.
This initiative to restore controls on recreational use comes after the withdrawal of the Bhumjaithai party, a fervent defender of legalization, from the ruling coalition, following Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s controversial handling of a border dispute with Cambodia.
Late Tuesday, the Thai Ministry of Health issued a decree prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational use, imposing a medical prescription for any in-store purchase. These new rules will come into force as soon as they are published in the Official Journal, scheduled for the next few days. “Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future,” said Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin.
In 2022, Thailand was one of the first Asian countries to decriminalize the recreational use of cannabis, but without clear regulations. Since then, tens of thousands of shops and companies have been created, especially in tourist areas, in fact, easy access to cannabis is one of the reasons why so many tourists are attracted to Thailand. The Thai Chamber of Commerce estimated that this industry, including medicinal products, could reach $1.2 billion by 2025.
Unregulated access to cannabis has caused serious social problems, especially for young people, according to government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub. “Politics must return to its original objective: to control cannabis for medical purposes only,” he said.
This recriminalization has stunned some players in the sector, such as Punnathat Phutthisawong, an employee of a dispensary in Bangkok. “It’s my main source of income,” the 25-year-old told Reuters. “Many shops are in shock, having invested massively. For activist Chokwan Kitty Chopaka, the sector, a carrier for agriculture, medicine and tourism, is “hostage of politics”, slowed down by uncertainty and turnarounds.
On Wednesday, the cannabis shops on Khao San Road in Bangkok still attracted tourists, such as Daniel Wolf, a passing Australian. “There are shops everywhere. How to go back? It’s insane,” he said.
Drug abuse among the younger generation is something that every island country is battling with, thankfully Mauritius has stricter drug usage laws to protect the vulnerable.