Thailand is set to roll back its landmark cannabis liberalisation policy, just two years after becoming the first country in Asia to decriminalise the plant.
Thailand’s Health Ministry has issued a new order banning recreational cannabis use and mandating that all retail sales require a doctor’s prescription, effectively reclassifying cannabis as a controlled narcotic once again.
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The regulation, expected to be published in the Royal Gazette in the coming days, is a major policy reversal that has shaken the country’s $1 billion cannabis industry, which had been flourishing since 2022.
“Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future,” Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said, citing growing concerns over its unregulated use, especially among minors. The new order bans recreational sales and seeks to control cannabis strictly for medical purposes.
Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said lax regulations had led to widespread recreational use, contradicting the original goal of medical cannabis access. A recent study by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board found a sharp rise in cannabis addiction and smuggling cases involving tourists.
The move comes amid a political shake-up. The Bhumjaithai Party, which had spearheaded cannabis legalisation, quit the ruling coalition last week after a diplomatic dispute involving Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The departure paved the way for the ruling Pheu Thai Party to revive its earlier promise to recriminalise cannabis.
Critics argue that the government is prioritising politics over policy. Advocacy groups plan to protest outside the Health Ministry next month, opposing the rollback and what they call politically motivated criminalisation.
