Thai and foreign nationals would be required to show a medical certificate to buy cannabis legally, the latest move by the Southeast Asian country to regulate the use of the drug three years after decriminalising it.
Somsak Thepsutin, public health minister of Thailand, said he would issue stricter regulations for cannabis use within 40 days.
Thailand became the first Asian country in 2022 to decriminalise cannabis, a decision that initially boosted agriculture and tourism. The legislation didn’t govern the sale, production or use of the drug, however, sparking criticism that it was fueling addiction and underage use as cannabis shops proliferated across the country.
“I will improve regulations on cannabis use in Thailand,” Mr Somsak said at a press conference in Bangkok. “For example, cannabis smokers may have to show medical certificates. Foreign and Thai cannabis users must have medical certificates. We’ll order government organisations to keep enforcing the law and not to allow any problems to develop.”
Somruek Chungsaman, heads of the health ministry’s department of traditional and alternative medicine, said the medical certificates requirement would ensure cannabis was used for medical purposes and not recreationally.
“Anyone who wants to buy cannabis flowers to smoke, Thai or foreign, must have a doctor’s prescription for medical use,” he told Reuters. “We don’t want people saying they came to Thailand just to smoke cannabis. That gives a negative impression.”
Marijuana advocates, however, argue the latest requirement for a doctor’s note is unnecessary, claiming that cannabis use is already declining following an initial surge.
The health minister had previously said recreational use of marijuana would be banned by the end of last year, but no curbs were placed on the industry, estimated to be worth more than $1bn annually.
Authorities have thus far implemented piecemeal regulations banning cannabis in schools and requiring retailers to clearly label cannabis-infused foods and beverages.
The health ministry is drafting a comprehensive cannabis law, which must secure cabinet approval before it is presented to the parliament for debate.
Airport authorities have intensified inspections to combat smuggling. They have reported that most intercepted cannabis is carried by foreign nationals, predominantly Britons and Indians.
Last week, two young British women were arrested in Georgia and Sri Lanka for allegedly trying to smuggle cannabis from Thailand, according to the British media.
The British government said a joint operation with Thailand in February resulted in more than two tonnes of cannabis being seized from air passengers. It said since July last year, over 50 British nationals had been arrested in Thailand for attempting to smuggle cannabis.
It also reported a dramatic increase in the amount of cannabis sent to the UK from Thailand by post since the drug was decriminalised in 2022.
In March, immigration authorities and police said 22 suitcases filled with a total of 375kg cannabis were seized, and 13 foreigners, most of them British, were arrested at the international airport on the Samui island.
