Thailand to Reverse Cannabis Decriminalization With Ban on Adult Use

Thailand, which decriminalized cannabis two years ago, now appears to be reversing course on its policy with a ban on adult use in an effort to crack down on a largely unregulated market.

Thailand legalized medical cannabis in 2018, then legalized the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis for adults in 2022.

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Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board dropped cannabis from the ministry’s list of controlled drugs, which established the de facto decriminalization of cannabis in the country and paved the way for home grows.

The government even unveiled plans to provide cannabis plants to its citizens for home cultivation.

Former Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at the time that he hoped the policy reform would lead to medicinal cannabis use through an industry centered on derived products, as well as help eliminate the stigma surrounding the plant.

Thailand’s cannabis market has since fueled tourism and farming, as well as resulted in thousands of cannabis shops popping up throughout the country, according to The Associated Press.

However, loose regulations have led to public backlash over underage consumption and crime, the news outlet reported.

The Health Ministry has reported an increase in people seeking treatment for cannabis-related psychological issues, according to AP; while more than 37,000 patients sought treatment in fiscal year 2022, that number increased to more than 63,000 in 2023.

During last year's election cycle, campaigns for all major parties—including Bhumjaithai, which spearheaded cannabis decriminalization and included it as part of its platform in the 2019 general election—pledged to crack down on cannabis and limit it to medical use, AP reported.

“We have no option but to put marijuana back to be classified as narcotics once again,” said Kalyapat Rachitroj, a lawmaker from the Move Forward Party, according to the news outlet.

In response, Health Minister Chonlanan Srikaew has recommended a draft bill that would maintain Thailand’s medical cannabis law but ban adult use.

The proposal would classify the use of cannabis “for entertainment or pleasure” as a crime punishable by a fine of 60,000 baht—or roughly US$1,700, according to AP.

Cannabis advocates and business owners have opposed a rollback of Thailand’s cannabis laws, according to AP; Chokwan “Kitty” Chopaka, an activist who operates a cannabis shop in Bangkok, told the news outlet that many officials view cannabis as a dangerous narcotic, “where we, on the other hand, see it as a plant. It’s an herb. It’s something that we have had traditionally for a very long time.”

Southeast Asia has some of the world’s harshest penalties for drug usage and possession, and Thailand has the largest prison population among the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with more than 80% of prisoners held for drug-related offenses, according to the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC).

Thailand’s Cabinet has not yet taken up Srikaew’s legislation but is expected to ultimately approve it and send it to Parliament, AP reported.