Thailand was the first Asian nation to legalize cannabis 18 months ago, but the country's new administration is doing a dramatic turnaround and is planning to prohibit its recreational usage.

The Southeast Asian nation's cannabis sector boomed under the previous administration's lenient regulations, benefiting both residents and tourists. However, a conservative coalition government took office late last year, promising to impose stricter regulations and limit cannabis usage to medicinal purposes only.

Heavy Penalties, Prison Sentences

On Tuesday, January 9, the Thai Ministry of Health unveiled a proposed law that would subject violators to heavy penalties, jail terms of up to a year, or both. It was open to public comments.

In keeping with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's September 2023 commitment to "rectify" cannabis regulations within six months, the bill specifies that cannabis and cannabis-related goods would be restricted to medicinal and health uses exclusively.

Despite the loosened regulations, public marijuana smoking was still banned. However, new legislation is also being considered that would prohibit ads for cannabis buds, extracts, and other related items.

In November 2023, lawmakers rejected a previous legislative draft.

In many interviews with the media, Thavisin has called drug misuse a big problem for the nation and has advocated for a ban on recreational cannabis usage.

Cholnan Srikaew, the health minister, told Reuters this week, "We drafted this law to prohibit the wrong usage of cannabis. All recreational usage is wrong."

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Changes to Cannabis Policies

Legalizing cannabis was a long-awaited policy shift in Thailand in June 2022, becoming the country the first in Asia to do so. According to CNN, this decision was a rare development in a region where many nations imposed severe punishments, including the death penalty, for marijuana-related offenses.

Travelers visiting Thailand who partake in cannabis use while abroad should be aware that they may still face prosecution upon their return to Singapore, a country that upholds the death sentence for drug trafficking.

Although medical marijuana has been legal in Thailand since 2018, the country went much further in 2022 when it decriminalized the production, sale, and use of all hemp products and components.

Since then, an array of cannabis-themed companies, including shops, cafés, spas, and beauty treatments, have appeared all over Thailand. Decriminalization has been a huge boon to tourism, and some cities, including Chiang Mai and Bangkok, have even hosted cannabis festivals.

Those in favor of legalization have pointed out that many Thais, including farmers, small company owners, and counter employees, have benefited from the country's recent cannabis growth.

Nonetheless, according to a prior interview with CNN by Anutin Charnvirakul, the country's former health minister and a staunch advocate for cannabis legalization, the goal was never to let Thais and visitors smoke marijuana recreationally in public.

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