Thailand moves to reduce cannabis, trembling $ 1 billion

Bangkok – The Thai government that moves to reduce cannabis, plunging into limbo, an industry estimated at more than a billion dollars that has exploded since the substance was removed from the country’s drug list in 2022.

The thrust to impose new checks on the recreational use of cannabis comes after the Bhumjaithai party, which defended its legalization, withdrew from the power coalition last week after the Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the apparent reflection of a border row with Cambody.

Late Tuesday, the Ministry of Health in Thailand issued a prescription prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational use and makes it mandatory for any retail purchase to require a prescription from the doctor.

The new rules will come into force once they are published in the Royal Gazette, which could occur in a few days.

“Cannabis will be classified as an amazing in the future,” said Minister of Health Somsak Thepsuthin on Tuesday.

Three years ago, Thailand became one of the first countries in Asia to decriminalize the recreational use of cannabis, but without any complete rule to governing the sector.

Since then, tens of thousands of stores and companies selling cannabis have emerged across Thailand, many of which are located in tourist centers in the country.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce previously estimated that industry, which includes drugs, could be worth $ 1.2 billion by 2025.

Unregulated cannabis access has created serious social problems, especially for children and young people, said government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub.

“Policy must return to its initial objective of controlling cannabis for medical use only,” Jirayu said in a press release.

The reminisalization thrust has left certain members of the cannabis industry such as Punnathat Phutthisawong, who works at the Green House Thailand dispensary in Bangkok, amazed.

“This is my main source of income,” said Punnathat, 25, in Reuters. “Many stores are probably just as shocked because many of them have invested massively.”

The cannabis sector could have transformed Thai agriculture, medicine and tourism, but uncertainty and political inversions hindered all sustainable growth, said cannabis activist Chokwan Kitty Chopaka.

“The cannabis industry has become the hostage of politics,” she said.

On Wednesday, there was still a constant customer net – mainly tourists – in cannabis stores in the Khao San region in Bangkok, including Daniel Wolf, who visits Australia.

“There are shops everywhere, so how do they reversed this? I don’t think they can,” he said. “It’s absolutely crazy.”