Thailand bans recreational cannabis, allows purchase with medical prescription

Bangkok: Thailand is taking fresh steps to clamp down on the sale and use of cannabis, just three years after becoming the first country in Asia to decriminalise the plant. Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin on Monday signed an order banning cannabis sales without a medical prescription and signalled that cannabis buds may soon be reclassified as a controlled herb — or even returned to the narcotics list.

The move has thrown the country’s fast-growing cannabis industry — estimated to be worth over $1 billion — into uncertainty, and triggered strong reactions from both public health officials and cannabis advocates.

The new regulation, announced late Tuesday, bans recreational sales and mandates that all retail cannabis purchases require a doctor's prescription. It will come into force once published in the Royal Gazette, though no exact date has been announced.

“Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future,” Health Minister Somsak said on Tuesday, citing a surge in addiction cases and smuggling incidents involving tourists in recent months.

Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board said it is ready to implement the regulatory change. Secretary-General Phanurat Lukboon noted that the number of cannabis addiction cases rose significantly after decriminalisation in 2022.

The government defended the crackdown, saying easy access to cannabis — especially by children and teenagers — undermines its original intention to allow only medical use. Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said the new measures are aimed at regaining control after thousands of cannabis dispensaries opened across the country, particularly in tourist hotspots.

“The policy must return to its original goal of controlling cannabis for medical use only,” Jirayu said.

The crackdown comes amid political turbulence. The Bhumjaithai Party, which spearheaded cannabis legalisation, quit the ruling coalition last week following a leaked phone conversation between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The party's exit has weakened political support for the industry it once championed.

In response, a group of cannabis advocates announced plans to protest outside the Health Ministry next month. They claim the government’s move is politically motivated and threatens livelihoods.

Cannabis vendors and businesses have expressed shock. “This is my main source of income,” said Punnathat Phutthisawong, a 25-year-old worker at a dispensary in Bangkok. “Many shops are probably just as shocked because a lot of them invested heavily.”

Cannabis activist Chokwan “Kitty” Chopaka said the decision shows how political instability continues to stifle the industry's long-term potential. “The cannabis industry has become a hostage to politics,” she said.

Despite the looming changes, cannabis shops in Bangkok’s Khao San Road continued to see customers on Wednesday — mostly tourists unaware or unconcerned about the impending restrictions.

“There are shops everywhere, so how do they reverse this?” asked Daniel Wolf, a tourist from Australia. “I don’t think they can. It’s absolutely insane.”

Once hailed as a possible game changer for Thai agriculture, healthcare, and tourism, the cannabis industry now faces a period of uncertainty, as the country prepares to tighten the rules — and possibly reverse its historic policy shift.

(With Reuters, AP inputs.)