Country bans recreational cannabis again in major blow to tourism

Be interesting to see how Anutin responds.

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Thailand is poised to recriminalise cannabis, a move set to dismantle a burgeoning industry estimated to be worth over £734 million.
The trade has flourished since the substance was delisted from the country's narcotics register in 2022.
The push to reintroduce stringent controls on recreational cannabis use follows a recent political shift within the ruling coalition.

The Bhumjaithai Party, a key proponent of cannabis legalisation, withdrew from the government last week. The departure came amidst scrutiny over Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's handling of a border dispute with Cambodia.
In a decisive step late on Tuesday, Thailand's health ministry issued an order explicitly prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational purposes.
Under the new mandate, any retail purchase will now necessitate a doctor's prescription.


These regulations are expected to come into effect swiftly, once they are officially published in the Royal Gazette, a process that could occur within days.

Three years ago, Thailand became one of the first countries in Asia to decriminalise the recreational use of cannabis, but without any comprehensive rules to govern the sector.
Since then, tens of thousands of shops and businesses selling cannabis have sprung up across Thailand, many of them located in the country's tourism hubs.

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/s...-b2776598.html

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Property prices will drop..

TEFLrs beware! Only one reason left to remain in Thailand, hey? Boohoo. :lmao:

Policy reversal on use of cannabis buds as herbal medicine

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) plans to consult the Ministry of Public Health after Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin issued a ministerial edict on Monday, imposing tighter controls on the use of cannabis buds for medical purposes.


Under the new edict, which will come into force once it is published in the Royal Gazette, cannabis buds will be regarded as controlled herbal medicine. Research, export, distribution or processing of cannabis buds for commercial purpose will require a permit. Use of cannabis buds in outlets and advertising of cannabis buds for commercial purposes through all channels will be prohibited.


ONCB Secretary-General Pol Lt-Gen Phanurat Lukboon said that they have cooperated with several universities in conducting research on the use of cannabis and Kratom leaves since 2019. They discovered that, since cannabis and Kratom plants, which contain psychotropic properties, were removed from the controlled drugs list in 2021-22, the number of cannabis and Kratom users has increased from about 350,000 and 500,000 to about 700,000 and 1.3 million respectively.


As for legitimate cannabis retail outlets, Phanurat said that it is not known yet whether the government or the public health ministry will instigate any measures to help mitigate financial losses if the edict is enforced.

Policy reversal on use of cannabis buds as herbal medicine

Thai cannabis stores fret as government moves to tighten rules on sales

Thai cannabis store owners and activists on Thursday (Jun 26) hit out at new government plans to tighten the rules on selling the drug by requiring a doctor's approval, three years after it was decriminalised.


The kingdom was the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalise the drug when it removed cannabis from the list of banned narcotics in June 2022.

The intention was to allow sales for medical rather than recreational use, but the move led to hundreds of cannabis "dispensaries" springing up around the country, particularly in Bangkok.


While the relaxation has proved popular with some tourists, there are concerns that the trade is under-regulated.

Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed an order late on Tuesday requiring an on-site doctor to approve sales for medical reasons.

The rule would only come into force once it is published in the official Royal Gazette. It is not clear when this would happen.


Thanatat Chotiwong, a long-time cannabis activist and store owner, said it was "not fair" to suddenly change the rules on a sector that was now well established.


"This is a fully-fledged industry - not just growers selling flowers. There are lighting suppliers, construction crews, farmers, soil and fertiliser developers, and serious R&D," he told AFP.


"Some of us have invested tens of millions of baht in greenhouses and infrastructure. Then suddenly, the government steps in to shut it all down."


Thanatat urged the government instead to "implement proper taxation and regulation - so this revenue can be returned to society in a meaningful way".

"TOO FEW DOCTORS"


The government has made several previous announcements of plans to restrict cannabis, including legislation moved in February last year, but none has come to fruition.


The new rules would mean cannabis could only be sold to customers for medical reasons, under the supervision of licensed professionals such as medical doctors, traditional Thai medicine doctors, folk healers or dentists.


"It's going to work like this: customers come in, say what symptoms they have, and the doctor decides how many grams of cannabis is appropriate and which strain to prescribe," Kajkanit Sakdisubha, owner of The Dispensary cannabis shop in Bangkok, told AFP.

"The choice is no longer up to the customer - it's not like going to a restaurant and pick your favorite dish from a menu anymore."


And he warned that many of the shops that had sprouted since decriminalisation would not be able to adapt to the changes.


"The reality is there are too few doctors available. I believe that many entrepreneurs knew regulations were coming, but no one knew when," he said.


While waiting for the rules to come into force, The Dispensary is halting cannabis sales as a precaution, store manager Bukoree Make said.


"Customers themselves are unsure whether what they're doing is legal. I've been receiving a lot of calls," Poramat Jaikla, the lead seller or "budtender", told AFP.

The cannabis move comes as the government led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's Pheu Thai party is hanging by a thread after losing its main coalition partner, Bhumjaithai.


Though conservative, the Bhumjaithai party has long supported more liberal laws on cannabis.


The party quit the coalition this month in a row over a leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

Thai cannabis stores fret as government moves to tighten rules on sales - CNA

How do I find my local "folk healer"?

Googun maps. Enter herbal healer near me and they will be revealed. Otherwise, any of the big massage schools will have an herbalist teacher with a license.

So they push it underground, give the trade to organized criminals, sacrifice the tax revenue etc...
It's not like booze is particularly good for you, either. Enjoyable, but hardly a health product.

Pretty nasty to pull the rug out from under all the small traders and farmers having invested in ganja.

^^I think marijuana is less harmful than booze. Certainly doesn’t destroy as many lives.

Who would you rather have in your family. A drunkard or a loadie?

Did you mis-pronounce your R there, those band movers can be some of the roughest druggies.

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Originally Posted by misskit

a loadie

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Well, that's a new one. Is it a Southern moniker?

The Government should just let the industry play its course. After a while the low budget idiots with no expertise in the industry, and shops every 50 meters, will fade away. Even Boon Rawd will eventually jump in, as well as former politicians. It's what happened in Canada and the States in America that legalized it, You can't keep a good thing down.

If Britain legalized it there would be fewer idiots trying to smuggle it from Thailand.

Loadie is what we in the South call someone who smokes way too much dope. Didn’t realize that is regional.

From what I can google, it means 'a habitual user of alcohol or drugs'.

Someone who gets loaded frequently.

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Originally Posted by misskit

Loadie is what we in the South call someone who smokes way too much dope. Didn’t realize that is regional.

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Never heard it before. In Canada we just call them pot-heads. Maybe that's regional too.

In Aussie we call them potheads also, never heard the loadie expression before.

In Oz if you are dedicated you can have the best of both worlds and be a pisshead AND a pothead. Or so I've heard.

Otherwise known as druggies.

Marijuana laws now turn over 800 businesses across Chiang Mai illegal

Chiang Mai Health Authorities crack down on 823 previously legal dispensaries, with over 300 of them in the city district alone.


In the wake of new Ministry of Public Health regulations that reclassify cannabis flowers as a controlled herbal substance for medical use only, the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office has ordered a strict crackdown on cannabis dispensaries across the province. The new rules require that cultivation, research, export, sale, and processing of cannabis must be licensed and follow strict conditions. This latest announcement effectively marks the end of Thailand’s cannabis liberalisation policy.


On Wednesday, Dr. Waranyu Jamnongprasartporn, Chiang Mai’s Provincial Public Health Doctor, addressed the press, revealing that there are 823 licensed cannabis businesses across 22 districts in Chiang Mai, with over 300 located in Mueang Chiang Mai District alone. The remaining licenses include 53 for export and 6 for research.


Although the new law does not revoke existing licenses, it imposes new restrictions on the sale of cannabis buds, now limited strictly to individuals with a valid prescription from a physician or a recognised health professional. Following the announcement, Chiang Mai’s health department dispatched district-level officers to educate and inform business owners of the updated legal conditions.


Random inspections will be conducted. Dr. Waranyu acknowledged that previously vague laws may have led to recreational use slipping through regulatory cracks. However, going forward, violations will result in license suspension or revocation, along with legal action as per the new regulations. Authorities are also calling on the public to report violations.


Cannabis business operators are reportedly confused and deeply concerned about the abrupt shift in policy. Many are calling for a review or compromise to mitigate the impact on those who have complied with licensing laws. Several entrepreneurs have invested heavily in rental spaces, hired staff, and stocked large inventories, only to now face severe uncertainty.


To date, most have ignored this latest announcement until they say they have greater clarification.

Marijuana laws now turn over 800 businesses across Chiang Mai illegal - Chiang Mai Citylife CityNews

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Originally Posted by misskit

Pretty nasty to pull the rug out from under all the small traders and farmers having invested in ganja.

^^I think marijuana is less harmful than booze. Certainly doesn’t destroy as many lives.

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pure natural ganja may not destroy lives, but the genetically modified and turbocharged stuff that is sold out of many of the ganja shops in thailand certainly does.

if it is to be legal, then it needs to be sold by government approved and quality controlled suppliers, something that could never be guaranteed in corrupt thailand.

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Originally Posted by misskit

Marijuana laws now turn over 800 businesses across Chiang Mai illegal

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Good.

It used to be when you walked around you smelt Thailand,drains, a slow decay and food, now in places it stinks of weed, mind you so does much of the urban environment in the UK.

Whenever I stay in Bangkok I always have a room with a balcony, and I can't remember the last time I sat outside with a Leo without the acrid stench of pot drifting past. To be honest I think Thailand got this wrong and for a country so obsessed with their 'international reputation as a family oriented holiday destination', I'm surprised they went this way. To become the international pot smoking destination ain't a great image, along with being the world's largest open air brothel.

My take on is that this is one country that certainly doesn't need anything added to the mix to make the inhabitants more stupid and less safe on tbe roads. Surely alcohol is enough?

And it may not be addictive or as harmful to health as alcohol, but whenever I visit the Somerset village I grew up in, after the pub there are still the same tired people sat around the same kitchen tables, passing around joints while proclaiming that pot ain't harmful... doing the same thing for the past 40 plus years since I left, while doing absolutely nothing with their lives.

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sat around the same kitchen tables, passing around joints

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aaaah, the good old days eh?

Not so fast.....

• Popular Post

Posted 4 hours ago

https://assets.aseannow.com/forum/up...ac0b11954.jpeg
Picture of Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin courtesy of The Nation

Thailand's health ministry has postponed the enforcement of new cannabis regulations by 30–60 days, responding to public concern and allowing more time for adaptation. Under the upcoming rules, sellers will need official permits and must document every cannabis flower sale.

Dr Tewan Thanirat, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, outlined the impending changes.

These include the necessity of a doctor's prescription for cannabis purchases, specifying the illness, dosage, typically limited to one gram per day, and treatment duration. Shops must keep these records for at least one year to comply with inspections.

Licensed premises will be required to have medical professionals, such as doctors or pharmacists, on-site. Additionally, retailers need approval from local administrative bodies due to public nuisance concerns related to the strong smell of cannabis.

https://assets.aseannow.com/forum/up...ddaf678c8.jpeg
File photo - A customer sits outside a cannabis shop in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

Growers are advised to prepare for enhanced standards, ensuring their operations meet Thai GACP, EU GMP, or Thai Organic certification levels. While planting doesn't currently require a licence, the harvested buds will be classified as a controlled substance needing a sales permit.

The Ministry of Public Health’s immediate announcement had sparked complaints, as many operators felt unprepared for rapid changes. In response, Minister Somsak Thepsuthin confirmed the postponement, highlighting the need for consultation with medical councils and stakeholders. He assured that discussions are ongoing but the delay will not be extensive.

Despite the delay, existing rules still apply. Businesses must submit monthly stock and sales reports or face potential sanctions, including suspension and criminal charges. Selling products like cannabis-infused snacks or gummies remains strictly prohibited.

Home growers for personal use can continue without certification; however, selling any homegrown cannabis is illegal. Once the new regulations are in place, consumers without a medical certificate could face arrest, confiscation of their stash, and penalties of up to one year in prison and a 20,000 baht fine.

• Popular Post

Posted 4 hours ago

https://assets.aseannow.com/forum/up...ac0b11954.jpeg
Picture of Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin courtesy of The Nation

Thailand's health ministry has postponed the enforcement of new cannabis regulations by 30–60 days, responding to public concern and allowing more time for adaptation. Under the upcoming rules, sellers will need official permits and must document every cannabis flower sale.

Dr Tewan Thanirat, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, outlined the impending changes.

These include the necessity of a doctor's prescription for cannabis purchases, specifying the illness, dosage, typically limited to one gram per day, and treatment duration. Shops must keep these records for at least one year to comply with inspections.

Licensed premises will be required to have medical professionals, such as doctors or pharmacists, on-site. Additionally, retailers need approval from local administrative bodies due to public nuisance concerns related to the strong smell of cannabis.

https://assets.aseannow.com/forum/up...ddaf678c8.jpeg
File photo - A customer sits outside a cannabis shop in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

Growers are advised to prepare for enhanced standards, ensuring their operations meet Thai GACP, EU GMP, or Thai Organic certification levels. While planting doesn't currently require a licence, the harvested buds will be classified as a controlled substance needing a sales permit.

The Ministry of Public Health’s immediate announcement had sparked complaints, as many operators felt unprepared for rapid changes. In response, Minister Somsak Thepsuthin confirmed the postponement, highlighting the need for consultation with medical councils and stakeholders. He assured that discussions are ongoing but the delay will not be extensive.

Despite the delay, existing rules still apply. Businesses must submit monthly stock and sales reports or face potential sanctions, including suspension and criminal charges. Selling products like cannabis-infused snacks or gummies remains strictly prohibited.

Home growers for personal use can continue without certification; however, selling any homegrown cannabis is illegal. Once the new regulations are in place, consumers without a medical certificate could face arrest, confiscation of their stash, and penalties of up to one year in prison and a 20,000 baht fine.

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Originally Posted by aging one

Not so fast.....

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you mean

Not so fast, not so fast :)

Worth saying twice