Bangkok – Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has dramatically reversed the nation’s cannabis policies, imposing stringent new regulations that effectively terminate the country’s brief experiment with decriminalization. The sweeping reforms, effective immediately, redefine cannabis as a controlled substance exclusively for medical applications—a stark departure from the free-market approach implemented just three years prior.

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Under the June 23 ministerial order, all cannabis flowers now require government-issued licenses for cultivation, processing, or sale. Only medically certified dispensaries with on-site physicians may distribute products, with prescriptions mandatory for purchase. The regulations explicitly ban retail sales through vending machines, online platforms, and conventional shops—a direct blow to Thailand’s burgeoning 15-billion-baht cannabis tourism industry.

Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin unveiled expansive restrictions, barring cannabis commerce near schools, temples, public parks, and entertainment venues. Advertising of all cannabis products is now illegal, with violators facing immediate closure and criminal charges. “This plant is returning to the narcotics list where it belongs,” Somsak declared, citing societal harm from unregulated use.

Today's #cannabis legalisation video shares the news that Thailand is re-banning recreational weed. Sad times. 😑 pic.twitter.com/gFVUMQXKhm

— Shiva / LCUK (@Shivaramavishnu) June 25, 2025

The policy shift has shattered the ruling coalition, prompting the Bhumjaithai Party—architects of Thailand’s original cannabis liberalization—to exit government. Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul condemned the reversal as “scientifically regressive,” announcing plans for a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in July. The political rift stems partly from leaked diplomatic discussions regarding Cambodian border disputes, further complicating the administration’s stability.

Over 5,000 cannabis businesses face imminent closure, with entrepreneurs given 30 days to comply. Nightlife districts like Bangkok’s Khao San Road and Pattaya’s Walking Street, where cannabis cafes flourished, will see mass layoffs. Medical advocates welcome the changes, but patients fear supply disruptions for pain and epilepsy treatments.

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The government plans transitional measures for existing license holders while drafting permanent legislation to fully reclassify cannabis as a narcotic by year’s end—a move that could land recreational users in prison once more.

-Thailand News (TN)