Thailand pushes to withdraw legalization of marijuana... Legislation to allow for medical use only

Controversy continues after legalization in 2022... Promoting legislation to convert ‘retail store → medical facility’

(Hanoi = Yonhap News) Correspondent Park Jin-hyung = In Thailand, which legalized marijuana but was embroiled in controversy over its side effects, the government prepared a bill to allow marijuana to be used only for medical purposes and began strengthening regulations in earnest.

According to Bloomberg News and the Bangkok Post, a local media outlet, on the 23rd (local time), the previous day, the Thai cabinet led by Prime Minister Anutin Chanwirakkun approved submitting a bill to the National Assembly to withdraw the de facto legalization of marijuana containing these contents.

Public Health Minister Patana Promphat said the bill stipulates that cannabis and cannabis extracts be used only for research and treatment purposes by medical professionals, adding, "This is to protect the health of the public, especially children and adolescents, and prevent cannabis abuse."

Under the bill, existing cannabis dispensary licenses would phase out through 2028, and businesses wishing to continue operating would be required to convert to licensed medical facilities staffed by qualified medical professionals.

In addition, cannabis growers are required to register cultivation information, including farm size and location. This allowed authorities to track the entire process of growing, processing, and selling hemp.

Minister Patana said that there are about 11,000 cannabis stores already registered in the government's tracking system, and that only about 2,000 of them are expected to survive by meeting medical facility requirements within the next three years.

In addition, marijuana cannot be sold to minors under the age of 20, pregnant or lactating women, or in socially sensitive places such as temples, schools, dormitories, parks, zoos, and amusement parks.

Additionally, advertising and promotions that promote the consumption of hemp flower buds, hemp resin, or related devices are also prohibited.

Those who produce, import, export, or sell illegal marijuana may be subject to imprisonment or fines, and those who abuse marijuana will be fined.

In June 2022, when Prime Minister Anutin was Minister of Health, he led the move to legalize marijuana for the first time in Southeast Asia by excluding it from the list of narcotics.

However, while other regulations to regulate the use of marijuana were not yet in place, the use of marijuana for recreational and recreational purposes increased rapidly and marijuana stores proliferated throughout the country, leading to continued controversy surrounding the legalization of marijuana.