Thailand says ban on recreational cannabis will ‘kick in like a bang’ by year-end

The Southeast Asian nation will seek to get a new cannabis bill – which will explicitly outlaw recreational use of cannabis – approved by lawmakers in the lower house by the end of October, before parliament goes into recess, Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said in an interview in Bangkok. That will follow a review by the cabinet next month, he said.

“It’s an issue of great concern to us, because the legal gap has led to free use of cannabis and there aren’t enough regulations to prevent misuse,” Cholnan said, defining “misuse” as anything not related to medical and health needs. “This bill will control cannabis, especially its buds, just as strictly as we would a drug.”

From backpacker hang-outs in Bangkok to popular resort islands like Phuket, operators of cannabis dispensaries say they’re helping to fuel a recovery in the country’s tourism sector, a key driver of economic growth.

In addition to marijuana for smoking, extracts have become big business. Companies now sell everything from cannabis buds to oil extracts, weed-infused confectionery and baked goods that, under current law, must contain no more than 0.2 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol – the psychoactive compound known as THC that provides a “high” sensation. That limit does not apply to cannabis sold for smoking.

While lighting up in public is currently banned, under the proposed bill, people who smoke or use cannabis in any location for recreation – including inside their homes – would face a fine of as much as 60,000 baht (US$1,700). Those selling cannabis or its extracts for recreational purposes would face up to one year in jail or 100,000 baht in fines, or both.

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