Is weed still legal in Thailand? Here’s what tourists need to know as government u-turns

14.02.2024 - 02:37 / euronews.com / Angela Symons

Just 18 months after Thailand opened the floodgates by legalising cannabis, the country’s new conservative coalition government is seeking to slam them shut.

Neon weed signs have become ubiquitous in Bangkok’s busy tourist area, with dispensaries cropping up on every corner. Hundreds of food and drink vendors advertise cannabis-infused menus.

But this could all change under new proposals to strictly regulate marijuana use and restrict it for medicinal purposes.

Following the general election in May last year, Thailand came under new leadership in September.

The conservative coalition government headed by the Pheu Thai Party 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, has now risen the ranks to Deputy Prime Minister. He is the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, part of the new government coalition.

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 practice the market was nearly unregulated.

The Health Ministry issued regulations that made cannabis a 'controlled herb' that requires a license for planting or selling, as well as banning online sales, sales to pregnant women and people under 20, and public smoking. But cannabis can be purchased easily by practically anyone at many unlicensed establishments or online.

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.

Thai media was quickly filled with reports of drug-fuelled violence and abuse, including among young people, who were not supposed to have access to the drug.

The Health Ministry reported a spike in people seeking treatment cannabis-related psychological issues, from more than 37,000 patients in 2022 to more than 63,000 in 2023. Other studies pointed to more young people using the drug.

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.