Thailand welcomes comments on bill banning recreational marijuana use

Thailand has taken up the issue of a bill banning recreational marijuana, as Prime Minister Thavismohan Singh's government wants the drug to be used only for medical purposes .

"We have drafted this bill to prohibit the misuse of marijuana. Using it for recreational purposes is wrong," Thai Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew told media this week.

The bill was published on the Thai Ministry of Health website on January 9 for public comment. Accordingly, people are only allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes, and all forms of recreational use are prohibited.

The bill provides for fines of up to 60,000 baht (about $1,700) for violations. Those who market or advertise recreational marijuana could face up to a year in prison or a fine of up to 100,000 baht (more than $2,800).

Those who grow cannabis without a license will be imprisoned for 1-3 years as well as fined 20,000-300,000 baht ($570-8,500).

Cannabis-based products at a factory in Bangkok, Thailand, in June 2022. Photo: Reuters

The bill does not spell out how cannabis stores will be regulated or what risks home growers face. Currently, people are allowed to grow cannabis on a household scale as long as they report it to authorities.

The deadline for the Thai government to seek public feedback on the bill is January 23. The cabinet will then consider both the bill and the feedback before submitting it to parliament for further discussion.

Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize cannabis in 2021. It has spawned a cannabis-related industry that is expected to be worth $1.2 billion over the next few years. Looser rules have since been introduced to curb cannabis use, but recreational use remains largely unregulated.

New Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has opposed recreational use of marijuana since his election campaign, due to concerns about drug abuse.

Ngoc Anh (According to Reuters )

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