Two years after legalization, Thailand will recriminalize marijuana by December

The Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, announced this Wednesday, 8th, that marijuana will return to the category of narcotics prohibited for recreational use by December, two years after its use was permitted in the country. On X, formerly Twitter, he informed that he asked the Ministry of Health that “hasten the issuance of ministerial regulations that allow its use [da cannabis] for medical and health purposes only.”

“Drugs are a problem that destroys the future of the country, many young people are addicted. We have to work quickly, to confiscate (traffickers’) assets and expand treatment,” he said, adding that he wants to see “clear progress” in 90 days.

The prime minister also said that the problems caused by drugs, in general, are part of the “national agenda” and urged the Ministry of Justice, the Narcotics Control Board and the police to work together to “detect, arrest, suppress and seize more goods, large and small, and for greater clarity in the application of the law.” To facilitate inspection, the prime minister asked authorities to change the definition of drug possession from “small quantity” to “one pill”.

“’No matter how many pills you take, it’s wrong’ if you can’t prove you’re a user, you’ll be charged with possession without permission. I would ask police officers to work harder to re-examine whether they intended to be users or dealers,” he continued.

+ Two years after legalization, Thailand bans recreational use of marijuana

Continues after advertising

Profit wave

It is not yet known when, in fact, marijuana will start to be treated as a narcotic. For the secretary general of Thailand’s Cannabis Future Network, Prasitchai Nunual, recriminalization will be quite a blow to the country’s small businesses and consumers, damaging the national economy.

“A lot of people have been growing cannabis and opening cannabis stores. These will have to close,” he told the Reuters news agency. “If scientific results show that cannabis is worse than alcohol and cigarettes, then they can relist it as a narcotic. If cannabis is less harmful, they should list cigarettes and alcohol as narcotics as well.”

The sector has been increasingly expanding since decriminalization for recreational use in 2022 and for medicinal use in 2018. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce estimated, before Thavisin’s announcement, that the value of the cannabis industry in the country is of up to US$1.2 billion (almost R$6 billion) by 2025. Decriminalization allowed hundreds of stores that sell the drug to proliferate across the country, especially in the capital, Bangkok, where there are 1,200 points of sale.

However, a concert by popular British band Coldplay in Bangkok in May caused an uncomfortable uproar for the government. Fans who attended the event complained on social media that “the whole show smelled like marijuana”, increasing pressure from conservatives for stricter measures against the drug to be implemented. In the same month, the Ministry of Health announced that Thavisin’s government would ban the substance through a bill.