Thailand's Cannabis Backflip

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Thailand, the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis, is re-criminalizing recreational sales

Thailand legalised non-prescription cannabis sales in 2022, but has reversed that decision.

In short:

Thailand has banned shops from selling cannabis for non-medical use.

The country legalised cannabis in 2022, leading to the growth of a $1 billion industry.

Stricter laws became possible after a party supporting decriminalisation left the coalition after a phone call about cross-border tensions with Cambodia was leaked

Thailand is further tightening control of cannabis by banning stores from selling the herb without a prescription.

Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, which boosted Thailand's tourism and farming, and spawned thousands of shops.

But the country has faced public backlash over allegations that under-regulation has made the drug available to children and increased addiction rates.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party previously promised to re-criminalise the drug, but faced strong resistance from its former partner in the coalition government, the Bhumjaithai Party.

But last week, the Bhumjaithai Party, which supported fewer controls, quit the Coalition over a leaked phone call between Cambodia's former leader and Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, which exposed her apparent mishandling of cross-border tensions.

On Tuesday, Thailand's health minister, Somsak Thepsutin, signed an order that banned shops from selling cannabis to customers for recreational use.

"Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future,"he said.

The legalisation of cannabis has led to an increase in Thai farms growing the herb.

The order also sought to reclassify cannabis buds as a controlled herb, but did not detail any penalty for violations.

Phanurat Lukboon, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, said his agency was ready to study and implement the regulation changes.

He also said a study done by his agency last year found the number of people with cannabis addiction spiked significantly after it was decriminalised.

The changes will take effect when it is published in the Royal Gazette, but it remains unclear when that will happen.

Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsu said unregulated access to cannabis created serious social problems, particularly for children and young people.

"The policy must return to its original goal of controlling cannabis for medical use only," he said in a statement.

Decriminalising the recreational sales of cannabis has led to a billion-dollar industry in Thailand.

Reversing a billion-dollar industry

The tightening regulations have left some cannabis industry members like Punnathat Phutthisawong, who works at a Bangkok dispensary, stunned.

"This is my main source of income," Mr Phutthisawong, aged 25, told Reuters.

"Many shops are probably just as shocked because a lot of them invested heavily."

Australian Daniel Wolf was one of many tourists visiting cannabis shops on Bangkok's Khao San Road.

"There are shops everywhere, so how do they reverse this? I don't think they can, it's absolutely insane."

The Thai government says the legalisation of recreational cannabis sales has led to children taking the drug and rises in people with addiction.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce previously estimated the industry, which included medicinal products, could be worth $1.8 billion by 2025.

Cannabis activist Chokwan Kitty Chopaka said the sector could have transformed Thai agriculture, medicine, and tourism, but uncertainty and policy reversals have stymied any sustainable growth, said 

"The cannabis industry has become a hostage to politics," she said.

AP/Reuters

[Coss]

In my youth, I was an avid enthusiast, and now I'm old enough to see, that widespread use would result in a significant portion of the population growing up with no education, ambition and aforethought.

"Everyone can be high functioning whilst stoned" - no - few can do it.

That argument is made to me frequently by a chap I know,  that is a meth user but holds his head up in society.

 

[short-time]

Interesting development, I’ve been wondering what was going on with the Thai government effort towards reversing the legalization of weed. Seems the genie has grown too big to stuff back into its bottle. Too much money being made now – pull the plug and the loss of a growing billion dollar industry might result in an economic recession. Can’t have that, time to compromise, read Rx medical marijuana. What about the weed tourist industry? How are they to obtain it? Make it too difficult/expensive and they may not return. Creating a hurdle of red tape, laws and bureaucracy wouldn’t be good for anyone. Think headlines - legends of foreign tourists locked up in Thai jails for smoking pot.

 

Seems to me their best bet is to leave it the way it is, maybe a special tax would be the best solution to keep the bureaucrats happy. But who pays the tax? What’s the difference, at the end of the day all the weed they are selling is worthless crap anyway. Laughable to suggest anyone could become “addicted” to 1% stripped weed. Forget the fact that THC has no physical withdrawal symptoms (definition of addiction).

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3 minutes ago, short-time said:

Seems to me their best bet is to leave it the way it is, maybe a special tax would be the best solution to keep the bureaucrats happy. But who pays the tax? .

I'm sure there is already a "special tax" in place unofficially. You don't run a business which such a high profile without some form of tea money.

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Regarding the weed situation in LOS – it occurred to me (please correct if wrong) there has been a huge surge in tourism to Thailand in the past few years and more so than other historical tourist destinations. Why is Thailand so popular these days particularly with the young? Does this increase in tourism not coincide with the Kingdoms legalization of marijuana?

 

It just could be completely legal weed is the attraction. After all, what other country can you holiday in where weed is completely legal? Afghanistan, Gaza? Really, I don’t know of any. NONE! And don’t confuse decriminalization with legalization as they are not the same.

 

Mess with it and you may kill the golden goose. I mean hell – it brought me back after an absence of over 10 years and I reside in a recreational state. Really, I think that was the deciding factor that led me to return. Could be those legions of tourists Thailand has been enjoying recently just might decide to holiday some place else next year.

 

Be it by design or accident, Thailand currently has the winning recipe for popular tourism. Don’t do what Schlitz beer did. Don’t wreck it.