Enlarge image
Cannabis shop in Bangkok: Legalization is an economic factor
Photo: Rungroj Yongrit / EPA
For years, Thailand imposed harsh penalties for drug crimes.
Then there was a change of course and the government relaxed the laws on cannabis consumption.
Now the country is facing another U-turn in drug policy: The new government in Bangkok is planning to return to the cannabis ban.
Health Minister Cholnan Srikaev announced in an interview with the Reuters news agency that he wanted to tighten the laws in the coming months.
The plan is to ban consumption for recreational purposes again.
The approval for medical cannabis should remain in place.
A corresponding draft law should be presented to the cabinet next month.
The ban will then be implemented at the end of the year.
Thailand allowed the release of cannabis for medical purposes in 2018.
Consumption has been fully permitted since summer 2022.
This made Thailand the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis.
Since then, consumption has been less regulated than in almost any other country in the world.
The cultivation, sale and consumption of the drug are virtually no longer restricted.
You can buy and sell as much cannabis as you want with a license.
The previous government also wanted to attract tourists with liberalization.
The business has now become an important economic factor.
However, critics complain that the 2022 release was issued prematurely and that there is almost no basis left to regulate consumption.
Support for medical cannabis
"Without a law to regulate cannabis, it will be abused," said Health Minister Cholnan.
"The abuse of cannabis has a negative impact on Thai children," he added.
"In the long term, this could lead to other drugs." He criticizes the fact that the previous government failed to regulate the market through laws.
"Under the new law, cannabis will be a controlled plant, so cultivation will require a permit," he said.
Cannabis cultivation without a license should be punished more harshly in the future.
They want to support cultivation for the medical industry.
asc/Reuters