In June 2022, Thailand made the decision to decriminalize marijuana, making it the first country in southeast Asia to do so. The campaign to decriminalize the drug was spearheaded by Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party.
Anutin, who headed the Ministry of Health in 2022, called for an amendment to be made to the Narcotics Law. This subsequently led to marijuana being eliminated from Thailand’s list of controlled substances.
While the drug was intended solely for medicinal use with the law also allowing private recreational use, the market remained unregulated. This allowed recreational use to flourish but increased public concerns over crime and misuse. Legalizing marijuana has positively influenced the country’s farming and tourism sectors while also allowing thousands of marijuana retail operations, ranging from market stalls and trucks to brick-and-mortar shops, to pop up in different parts of the country.
Recently, cannabis entrepreneurs and activists marched to the office of the prime minister after a committee approved a proposal to ban general use of the drug last week. This proposal comes after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced in May that he wanted to ban marijuana again. This announcement was followed by several protests, with advocates claiming that this decision would negatively affect the economy.
If the proposal is approved, it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, with only research and medical use of marijuana being permitted. The proposal in question is to be forwarded to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board later this week.
During the latest protest, Prasitchai Nunuan, a representative of a procannabis network of individuals, discussed how cannabis needed to be regulated separately by the Ministry of Health instead of criminalizing it. Nunuan accused the government of banning the drug so that only a few could benefit from its medicinal use.
Another activist and owner of a marijuana shop in Bangkok, Chokwan ‘Kitty’ Chopaka, urged officials to draw up policies that benefitted the majority of the people.
The protesters were prevented from marching ahead to the Government House by police officers, who barricaded the road. Following this move, the protesters established camp in the area and announced that they would not move until the government responded to their demands.
The group’s written petition was later received by an official.
In June, Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin revealed results from an online survey conducted by the ministry. The survey determined that at least 80% of the 111,201 individuals who took part in the poll were in favor of outlawing the drug. This claim couldn’t be verified given that the poll results weren’t shared publicly.
Companies that have an interest in extending their footprint on the international marijuana market, such as Canopy Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: CGC) (TSX: WEED), will be following events in Thailand to see any impacts regulations there may have on other countries that are considering their own drug-reform policies.
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