(BANGKOK) – The prime minister of Thailand, the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis two years ago, said Wednesday he wants to ban the drug again, amid concerns that a lack of regulation has made it available to children and increased crime.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin wrote on social media platform allow its use for medical purposes just.
Srettha also ordered local authorities to crack down on criminal activities linked to the illegal drug trade and demanded to see progress within 90 days.
After the decriminalization of cannabis in 2022, it was initially said that it would only be allowed for medicinal use, but in practice the market was not regulated. This sparked public backlash and concerns about misuse and crime.
Decriminalization was led by the Bhumjaithai Party, whose stronghold is in the impoverished northeast, where it promised farmers that cannabis would be a new cash crop.
In the 2023 elections, all major parties – including Bhumjaithai – have promised to restrict cannabis for medical use.
Cannabis advocates and entrepreneurs opposed a radical rollback, which they claimed would be harmful to the economy. Legal cannabis fueled Thailand’s tourism and agriculture sectors and generated thousands of retail cannabis sales ranging from stores, trucks to market stalls across the country.
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