Thai Government Bans Recreational Cannabis use 18 Months after Decriminalizing it

(VORNews) – The Thai government is moving ahead with new legislation banning cannabis for recreational use, reversing a major decision 18 months after decriminalizing the substance.

Throughout Southeast Asian nations, a lucrative cannabis industry that catered to foreigners and locals flourished as the laws relaxed, but late last year, a conservative coalition government came into power vowing to tighten the laws.

The Health Ministry of Thailand presented a bill draft on Tuesday that proposes severe penalties, including fines and jail terms of up to a year or both.

Following Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s September commitment to “rectify” cannabis regulations within six months, the bill specifies that cannabis and cannabis-related goods would be restricted to medicinal and health uses exclusively.

The new regulations would outlaw the promotion and marketing of cannabis buds, extracts, and other cannabis products, while the old rules still made it unlawful to use weed in public.

In November, lawmakers rejected an earlier version of the plan. Drug misuse is “a big problem for Thailand,” according to Thavisin, who has been outspoken in his support for a ban on recreational cannabis usage. To get further information on the new idea, CNN has contacted Cholnan Srikaew, the health minister of Thailand.

Thailand became the first Asian country to completely legalize cannabis

Thailand became the first Asian country to completely legalize cannabis in June 2022, a long-awaited move in a region where many countries sentence people to long prison terms or even death for marijuana possession, use, or trafficking. In adjacent Hong Kong, even non-psychoactive cannabidol (CBD) is illegal.

Singapore still has the death penalty for drug trafficking, and people travelling to Thailand are cautioned that if they use marijuana abroad, they may face prosecution when they return home.

Medical marijuana has been allowed in Thailand since 2018, but legalization in 2022 went a step further, making it no longer illegal to cultivate and trade marijuana and hemp products or to utilize any component of the plant to cure ailments.

Since then, dozens of cannabis shops have opened around Thailand, along with additional cannabis-themed enterprises such as marijuana cafés, hemp spas, and beauty treatments. Cities such as Chiang Mai and Bangkok have even hosted cannabis festivals, and liberalization has proven to be a big magnet for tourists.

However, Anutin Charnvirakul, the former health minister who ardently advocated for cannabis legalization in Thailand, recently told CNN that it was never intended to enable Thais and visitors to use marijuana recreationally in public.

“Thailand will push cannabis policies for medical use. There has never been a time when we considered encouraging individuals to consume cannabis for recreational purposes or in a way that might upset others,” Austin added.

“We [have always] emphasized using cannabis extractions and raw materials for medical purposes and health.” Pro-legislation activists have asserted that Thailand’s cannabis boom has benefited many Thais, including farmers, small business owners, and counterworkers.

Cannabis entrepreneurs previously told CNN that they were adamantly opposed to any legalization that would harm the expanding multibillion-dollar sector. The Future Cannabis Network, a Thai advocacy group, expressed unhappiness with the government’s actions and emphasized the significance of “public involvement.”

Kitty Chopaka, a Bangkok-based cannabis businesswoman who has long advocated for cannabis legalization, described the government’s reaction as a “knee-jerk reaction” and “not unexpected.” “But no matter what happens with the incoming cannabis regulations, it is now too late for cannabis to go back to being classified as a narcotic.”

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