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Less than three years after officials decriminalized cannabis in Thailand, the new government made a U-turn to the drug’s legality—putting it in limbo.
Prior to the move to decriminalize the plant in 2022, Thailand put cannabis in Category 5 of the country’s Narcotic Act in 1979. This prohibited smoking, possessing, and selling cannabis.
However, the country legalized medical cannabis in 2019. And in January 2022, Thailand removed cannabis from its Narcotics Control Board’s list of controlled drugs.
However, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who served in office between August 2023 and August 2024, announced in May his plans to reclassify cannabis as a Category 5 narcotic. He pledged the ban will be in place by the end of 2024, The Diplomat reported.
But when Thavisin was removed from office in August, Paetongtarn Shinawatra became Thailand’s new prime minister.
Her administration soon released a proposal in September to restrict cannabis mainly for health and medical purposes. The draft does not explicitly say it will ban recreational use of cannabis nor did it articulate plans to reclassify the drug as a narcotic substance. But it does indicate fines and punishment for those selling or consuming cannabis for purposes not laid out in the bill. A draft bill indicated fines can reach up to $2,900, and jail for up to one year.
A Confusing Historical Timeline
The U-turn proves to be confusing for many.
In 2019, Thailand made history after becoming the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical cannabis—a result in the pro-cannabis movement and changes in the political and economic climate that have instigated since 1979.
After Thailand legalized medical cannabis, Thais aged 20 years or older could register for medical cannabis treatment without criminal risk.
The legalization for medical use removed most parts of the cannabis plant except seeds or buds from the Category 5 list of the controlled drugs, according to The Associated Press.
The same year, Thailand’s then Minister of Health, Anutin Charnvirakul said he favored cannabis legalization. He believed doing so would aid farmers and promote cannabis products as a major industry in the country, reported AP.
Charnvirakul also said the legalization would ease overcrowding in Thailand’s prisons and help boost the rural economy. At that time, Thailand had more than 3,000 inmates held on cannabis charges.
In 2022, the country officially decriminalized cannabis—also making Thailand the first Asian country to do so, reports Forbes.
Since then, all parts of the cannabis plant have been cleared for consumption. This resulted in a boom of cannabis shops spotted across Bangkok and other tourist destinations.
The Effects of Cannabis Legalization in Thailand
After 2022, cannabis decriminalization proved to benefit many Thais. In Bangkok’s infamous Khoason Road—a landmark for backpackers—cannabis sales make up 20% of all revenue, Sanga Ruangwattanakul, a local dispensary owner and president of Khao San Road Business Association, told the Los Angeles Times.
Ruangwattanakul’s dispensary brings in between $16,000 and $19,000 a month. He keeps 60% of that because the Thai government does not tax cannabis sales. This is 45% more in profit margins than the dispensaries in California, according to the LA Times.
Ruangwattanakul said most of his customers came from countries where cannabis is illegal.
“A lot of people from South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong,” he said. “They come here and want to smoke openly.”
Another dispensary owner, Tai Taveepanichpan, told the LA Times he employs more than 80 people in his company. His employees are making $800 a month, about 36% more than the average national pay.
LA Times also reported that more than a million Thais have registered to grow cannabis at home. Additionally, more than 12,000 cannabis dispensaries across the country are operating on three-year licenses from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicines.
Since its decriminalization, experts forecast the value of the cannabis market in Thailand to grow yearly. In 2022, the value reached $800 million, the number increased to $900 million in 2023. By 2024, it reached $1 billion and is expected to grow to $1.2 billion in 2025. By 2030, the market is expected to be $9.1 billion, Euronews reports.
But this might soon change.
Why the Government Changed Their Mind
When Thavisin and Shinawatra—both of the Pheu Thai Party—were elected as prime ministers, the government was behind calls for a crackdown on the cannabis industry which has been poorly regulated since its legalization.
The Pheu Thai Party, Euronews further reports, campaigned to ban recreational cannabis use. This is because they believed it poses health risks and could cause substance abuse among young Thais.
Initially, Thavisin was tough with the stance of the issue. “Drugs are a problem that destroys the future of the nation,” he said in a post on X calling for the plant to be relisted.
But when Thavisin was removed from office in a ruling that saw Paetongtarn take his place, Paetongtarn brought a softer stance on the issue.
The Thai Health Ministry reported it had a spike in people seeking treatment for cannabis-related psychological issues, from more than 37,000 patients in 2022 to more than 63,000 in 2023.
Thai media was quick to report on drug-fueled violence and abuse, including among young people, who were not supposed to have access cannabis.
Some Thai doctors argue that cannabis can lower children’s IQ, increase car accidents, suicides, and mental health episodes.
Anunchai Assawamakin, a pharmacologist at Mahidol University and an advisor to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, one of Thailand’s drug agencies, told LA Times the Thai government has been documenting cannabis-related incidents from hospitals. There were nearly 21,000 cases in the first year after its legalization. That is more than the 10,000 reported previously.
But Assawamakin warned that the report needs more study.
“Even at this stage, the effects of cannabis legalization are not fully understood,” he said. “We also have a meth problem that is difficult to separate from cannabis since users often take them together.”
Currently, it’s unclear where Thailand stands with cannabis. It’s simply too early to tell whether Thailand will be like Colorado.
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