Thailand has introduced a new bill to regulate its cannabis industry while maintaining its legal status. The proposed legislation aims to restrict cannabis use primarily to medical and health purposes, marking a shift from the unregulated environment that emerged after its decriminalization in 2022. Recreational use is not explicitly banned, but those using cannabis outside of medical or permitted commercial purposes could face fines of up to 60,000 baht ($1,800). Similarly, unauthorized sales could lead to jail time or fines of up to 100,000 baht ($3,000).

Thailand signals another U-turn on cannabis

The bill focuses on tightening control over the cultivation, sale, and export of cannabis, requiring businesses to obtain new licenses. This comes after a surge in cannabis dispensaries following decriminalization, with more than 9,400 dispensaries opening nationwide. While this regulation aims to balance the legal cannabis market, it also reflects political tensions, particularly between the Pheu Thai Party, which had initially planned to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic, and the Bhumjaithai Party, which favors keeping cannabis legal for medical and commercial uses.

The new draft law for cannabis in #Thailand is now available for public review. As expected, it does not specifically ban recreational use by name or recriminalize cannabis as a narcotic. It does strengthen quite a few regulations and has civil, but not criminal, fines for… pic.twitter.com/Z0jWBbZcYL

— The Pattaya News Thailand (@The_PattayaNews) September 19, 2024

Public feedback is open until the end of September, and the bill could see further revisions before being passed into law.

-Thailand News (TN)