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IS WEED STILL LEGAL IN THAILAND? HERE’S WHAT
TOURISTS NEED TO KNOW AS GOVERNMENT U-TURNS After months of uncertainty over the future of cannabis in Thailand, the government released a proposal to restrict it mainly to health and medical purposes. Published in September, shortly after Thailand’s new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra took office, the draft legislation does not explicitly ban the recreational use of weed nor does it uphold previous plans to reclassify the substance as a narcotic. But it does lay out fines and punishments for those selling or consuming cannabis for purposes not laid out in the bill. Following the general election last year, Thailand came under new leadership in September 2023. The conservative coalition government is behind the calls for a crackdown on cannabis, which has been poorly regulated since its legalisation. Pheu Thai campaigned on banning the recreational use of marijuana, saying it poses health risks and could cause substance abuse issues among young people. Anutin Charnvirakul, the former Health Minister who oversaw the drug’s legalisation in the previous military-run government, rose the ranks to Deputy Prime Minister in the
When backing the legalisation of marijuana in 2022, he said it would ease overcrowding in Thailand’s prisons and help boost the rural economy. On the day of legalisation, more than 3,000 inmates held on cannabis charges were released. Within the year, the country’s weed industry was worth 28 billion Thai baht (€728 million) and by 2030 it was projected to reach 336 billion baht (€8.7 billion). Anutin had promised that cannabis would be allowed only for medical use, but in practise the market was nearly unregulated.
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Since cannabis was legalised, over 1.1 million Thai people have registered for licences to grow it and more than 6,000 weed dispensaries have popped up across the country, many with little quality control.
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2023 election. He is the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, part of the current government coalition.
THIS IS JUST THE FIRST ROUND
With Thailand being the first country in Asia to legalise cannabis, it has also sparked a thriving weed tourism industry that many fear will be difficult to put a lid on. In the 2023 election campaign, all major parties - including Bhumjaithai - promised to limit cannabis to medical use.
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Before weed was legalised in Thailand in June 2022, the country had some of the world’s harshest drug laws. Possession of cannabis
could land you in prison for up to 15 years, with the infamous Bang Kwang Central Prison ironically nicknamed the Bangkok Hilton after an Australian TV series depicted its squalid, overcrowded conditions - acting as a major deterrent for tourists. While Thailand waits on the outcome of the changes, weed shops are still open across Bangkok and beyond. However, some rules are already in place to restrict the use of cannabis. Smoking or vaping in public places is not allowed. Causing a ‘public nuisance’ - including through the smell of weed - can lead to a 25,000 baht (€650) fine. The details of what constitutes a ‘nuisance’ are murky and liable to exploitation by police. In Bangkok, officers have been known to blackmail and extort tourists caught on the wrong side of the law. Extracts containing more than 0.2 per cent THC are still legally classed as narcotics but some shops sell stronger products regardless, which could land purchasers in trouble - unless they have obtained official permission for medical purposes. Tourists have also been warned that cannabis is still illegal in neighbouring countries and must not be transported across borders. Singapore, which has some of the world’s strictest drug policies, can arrest citizens for using drugs outside of the country as if they were consumed at home.