Thailand to mandate medical certificates for cannabis purchases
Thailand is set to impose a new requirement for medical certificates to purchase cannabis, aiming to regulate its use more strictly.
A senior health official announced this on Thursday, marking a significant step in tightening marijuana control three years post-decriminalisation.
Despite being one of the first Asian nations to decriminalise marijuana, Thailand still lacks a robust legal framework governing its sale and consumption. This absence of regulations led to an explosive rise in cannabis retailers, especially in tourism-centric areas like Bangkok and Phuket, often serving unregulated recreational buyers.
The upcoming regulation, expected to roll out in approximately 40 days, aims to restrict the use of cannabis to strictly medical purposes. Somruek Chungsaman, head of the Department of Traditional and Alternative Medicine in the health ministry, emphasised that anyone, Thai citizens or foreigners, desiring to buy cannabis flowers for smoking must possess a doctor’s prescription. "We don’t want people saying they came to Thailand just to smoke cannabis. That gives a negative impression," he said.
Thailand’s health minister previously hinted at a ban on recreational marijuana use set for late last year, but no specific restrictions have surfaced yet. The cannabis industry, estimated to be worth over $1 billion annually, largely remains unregulated.
In an effort to rein in the burgeoning cannabis market, authorities have implemented various regulations, such as banning sales near schools and requiring retailers to provide clearer usage information for cannabis-infused food and drinks. However, these measures have been piecemeal at best.
A comprehensive cannabis law is currently being drafted by the health ministry, which will need cabinet approval before it heads to parliament for further discussions.
Some marijuana advocates argue that the new requirement for a doctor’s note is unnecessarily strict, claiming that cannabis popularity is already waning following an initial spike in use. "Cannabis is not popular among youth. In fact, the number of smokers has not increased at all, which has caused many shops to shut down," remarked Prasitchai Nunual, the secretary-general of Thailand’s Cannabis Future Network.
