Thailand proposed a new Bill regulating cannabis for health and medical use, restricting recreational use, tightening licensing, and allowing public feedback before submission to the Cabinet and parliament.

Key Takeaways

• Thailand has introduced a new Bill to regulate the cannabis industry, focusing on health and medical uses while attempting to restrict recreational smoking after prior policy changes.
• The legislation, published by the Ministry of Public Health under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s administration, omits a clause against recreational use and abandons plans to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic.
• The draft includes stricter licensing rules for cannabis planting and sales, requiring existing businesses to apply for new permits. Feedback is welcome until September 30.

Thailand’s recent proposal for a new Bill aims to regulate its burgeoning cannabis industry, refocusing its intent on health and medical applications. This development is part of a broader strategy to tighten regulations following a series of policy shifts surrounding the use of marijuana, particularly in light of previous recreational smoking permissions.

The draft legislation, released by the Ministry of Public Health shortly after the new Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, assumed office, allows for cannabis and its extracts to be utilized for medical treatment and research, as well as in herbal, food, and cosmetic products.

Significantly, the new Bill demonstrates a softer approach compared to earlier drafts, notably omitting an explicit ban on recreational use proposed by the previous administration. It also abandons efforts to re-classify cannabis as a narcotic. Nonetheless, it enforces strict penalties for non-compliance. Individuals using cannabis outside the specified applications face fines reaching up to 60,000 baht, while sellers of non-compliant products could face one year of imprisonment or fines up to 100,000 baht, or both.

This regulatory stance, while intended to streamline the burgeoning cannabis market following its decriminalization in 2022, poses potential challenges for the over 9,400 dispensaries operating nationwide.

The easy access to cannabis had emerged as a contentious political issue, especially during the last election, leading to mixed signals amid pressure from coalition partners to reinstate stricter regulations.

The draft legislation also proposes tighter controls on licensing for cannabis cultivation, sales, exports, and imports, mandating that existing operators acquire new permits. As feedback from the public and stakeholders is requested until September 30, further modifications may occur before the Bill proceeds to the Cabinet and then to Parliament for eventual approval.

Source : Thailand unveils new Bill to regulate cannabis while keeping it legal