Kitty Chopaka has watched this coming. The cannabis activist told DW that Thailand’s new rules could wipe out about 90 percent of licensed cannabis shops. “I understand what the government is doing. I don’t agree with it,” she said.
Thailand is moving to end recreational cannabis and restrict the plant to medical use. Cannabis would be a controlled substance requiring a prescription from a licensed professional. Retailers have to turn into regulated medical facilities, such as clinics or pharmacies, with trained staff overseeing sales.
Under the bill DW described, dispensaries could sell only to other licensed shops or to customers holding a prescription.
How the loophole opened
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration took cannabis off the narcotics list in June 2022. No comprehensive law governed sale, production or use. Tens of thousands of licensed dispensaries and retailers soon opened, especially in tourist areas.
The government had hoped for a cash crop. The Thai Chamber of Commerce estimated the market could be worth $1.2 billion a year. What followed instead was a rise in recreational use, illegal distribution and a saturated market, along with protests from activist groups. Officials also worried about how easily large amounts could be bought and smuggled out of the country. Two British women were arrested in Georgia and Sri Lanka for allegedly smuggling cannabis.
Industry and critics push back
Chopaka expects the larger shops to survive. “I feel the ones that are going to be left are the bigger shops, who actually have that war chest and they will serve the tourists, and the locals will probably grow their own, because getting a doctor’s note is going to be too much of an issue,” she said. Her guess was that only about 1,000 dispensaries would remain.
Gloria Lai, Asia regional director for the International Drug Policy Consortium, called the plan rushed. She described the health minister’s announcement as “a knee-jerk reaction” to smuggling worries and questioned whether a prescription-only rule would fix that. She urged inclusive consultations instead.
Rattapon Sanrak, founder and president of the Highland Network, warned that “sudden enforcement could cause chaos.” He also pointed out that the measure is a ministerial regulation decided by a single minister. “If the minister changes, the rules can flip again,” he said, and argued that an act of parliament would give investors firmer ground.
That may come. The bill is expected to be a temporary step before a full cannabis act covering use, production and export, which was expected to be announced in about two years.
Thai authorities say the shift is meant to protect public health and head off misuse. Thousands of outlets from the first wave of liberalisation have closed or are applying for stricter licences. Medical cannabis stays part of the country’s healthcare and traditional medicine system.
Sources
- Thailand Moves to End Recreational Cannabis as Government Tightens Control – Thai Times
- Thailand set to U-turn on recreational cannabis use
Sources
- Thailand Moves to End Recreational Cannabis as Government …
- Thailand set to U-turn on recreational cannabis use
