BANGKOK – The Ministry of Public Health has announced it will reassess Thailand’s current cannabis regulations following growing concerns from representatives of business who argue that stringent rules are severely impacting the sector. The advocacy group “Writing Thailand’s Cannabis Future” recently met with health officials to urge swift reforms aimed at revitalizing the legal cannabis market.

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Led by representatives Prasitchai Nunuan and Chokwan Chopaka, the group presented their case to Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr. Sakda Alapach, emphasizing the need to reverse regulatory measures implemented by former minister Somsak Thepsutin. The advocates have also reached out directly to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat, seeking to revoke the 2025 regulation that classifies cannabis as a controlled herb. They have instead proposed a return to the more permissive 2022 framework that allowed sales without medical prescriptions.

Among their key concerns are recently introduced cultivation requirements, including mandatory laboratory testing for growers already holding Good Agricultural Practice certification, which they describe as unnecessarily burdensome. The group also opposes a draft regulation that would restrict cannabis sales exclusively to medical clinics, warning that this could reduce the number of licensed outlets from approximately 10,000 to merely 100 establishments.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has pledged to review restrictive cannabis regulations following mounting pressure from the group "Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future," which has urged swift government action to revive the struggling industry.

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Prasitchai Nunuan has called for the current regulations to be overturned within two weeks, threatening to escalate the matter to the prime minister if no action is taken. He emphasized that the group supports reasonable measures against misuse but stresses the importance of maintaining fair business opportunities within the legal cannabis industry.

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Dr. Sakda Alapach confirmed that the ministry has acknowledged these concerns and will assign the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine to conduct a comprehensive review. The findings from this evaluation are expected to be presented to the minister following the completion of the assessment process.

-Thailand News (TN)