The Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, has announced the country will now regulate cannabis through legislation rather than re-listing it as a narcotic, marking a swift U-turn from plans to re-criminalise the drug.
Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022 by removing it from a list of illegal narcotics, leading to a boom industry that saw dispensaries open in the thousands across the country.
After less than two years, the government, led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, announced it would add cannabis back onto the list of narcotics, re-criminalising production, consumption and possession.
In yet another dramatic twist, the Thai government has now stated that it will discuss plans for a draft bill to regulate the cannabis industry instead. Following a meeting with the Prime Minister and Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, Deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that the PM now agreed that legislation was the best way forward.
“I would like to thank the prime minister for considering this issue and deciding to enact an act,” said Mr Anutin, who was instrumental in the 2022 decriminalisation of cannabis.
Mr Anutin has previously spoken to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin about concerns over the Ministry of Public Health’s plan to re-list cannabis as a narcotic.
Mr Anutin said he had told Mr Srettha the proposal lacked convincing proof to justify the re-criminalisation of the plant. He urged the prime minister to carry out more studies into the issue before relisting cannabis as a narcotic.
The plan to re-criminalise cannabis could lead to an estimated 27 billion Baht (£580m) loss to the economy according to Wisan Potprasat, CEO of the Cannabis Medical Industrial Estate Association of Thailand.
“It will be a matter of law and debated in parliament where there is already a draft law,” secretary-general to the prime minister Prommin Lertsuridej, who was also a part of the meeting, told Reuters.
“Whether it is a narcotic or not is up to parliament.”
This story first appeared on leafie, view here
Author: Liam O’Dowd
