Thailand's cannabis stores fret as government tightens rules on sales
The new rules mean cannabis can only be sold to customers for medical reasons under a doctor's supervision. PHOTO: REUTERS
BANGKOK – Thai cannabis store owners and activists on June 26 hit out at new government rules tightening restrictions on selling the drug by requiring a doctor's approval, three years after it was decriminalised.
Thailand was the first country in South-east 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 June 24 requiring an on-site doctor to approve sales for medical reasons.
The rule came into force after it was published in the official Royal Gazette on June 26.
Mr 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 said.
'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,' he said.
Mr 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 2024, but none has come to fruition.
The new rules mean cannabis can 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,' Mr Kajkanit Sakdisubha, owner of The Dispensary cannabis shop in Bangkok, said.
'The choice is no longer up to the customer. It's not like going to a restaurant and picking your favourite dish from a menu anymore.'
And he warned that many of the shops that have sprouted since decriminalisation will 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,' Mr Poramat Jaikla, the lead seller or 'budtender', said.
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 has quit the coalition in a row over a leaked phone call between Ms Paetongtarn and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
WHO delivers its first medical aid to Gaza since March 2
WHO called for the immediate, unimpeded and sustained delivery of health aid into Gaza through all possible routes PHOTO: REUTERS WHO delivers its first medical aid to Gaza since March 2 GENEVA - The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on June 26 that it had delivered its first medical shipment into Gaza since March 2, adding though that the nine truckloads were 'a drop in the ocean'. The June 25's shipment of supplies, plasma and blood will be distributed among hospitals in the Palestinian territory in the coming days, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X. Israel imposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip on March 2. More than two months later, it began allowing some food in, but no other aid items until now. Dr Tedros said nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies, 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 units of plasma were delivered via the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, 'without any looting incident, despite the high-risk conditions along the route'. 'These supplies will be distributed to priority hospitals in the coming days,' Dr Tedros said. 'The blood and plasma were delivered to Nasser Medical Complex's cold storage facility for onward distribution to hospitals facing critical shortages, amid a growing influx of injuries, many linked to incidents at food distribution sites.' Last week the WHO said only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were minimally to partially functional, with the rest unable to function at all. Dr Tedros said four WHO trucks were still at Kerem Shalom and more were on their way towards Gaza. 'However, these medical supplies are only a drop in the ocean. Aid at scale is essential to save lives,' he said. 'WHO calls for the immediate, unimpeded and sustained delivery of health aid into Gaza through all possible routes.' Israel began allowing supplies to trickle in at the end of May following its more than two-month total blockade, but distribution has been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new US- and Israel-backed food distribution system, began handing out food in Gaza on May 26. But the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF – an officially private effort with opaque funding – over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Israel is pressing its bombardment of the territory in a military offensive it says is aimed at defeating the militant group Hamas, whose unprecedented October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thailand's cannabis stores fret as government tightens rules on sales
The new rules mean cannabis can only be sold to customers for medical reasons under a doctor's supervision. PHOTO: REUTERS BANGKOK – Thai cannabis store owners and activists on June 26 hit out at new government rules tightening restrictions on selling the drug by requiring a doctor's approval, three years after it was decriminalised. Thailand was the first country in South-east 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 June 24 requiring an on-site doctor to approve sales for medical reasons. The rule came into force after it was published in the official Royal Gazette on June 26. Mr 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 said. '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,' he said. Mr 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 2024, but none has come to fruition. The new rules mean cannabis can 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,' Mr Kajkanit Sakdisubha, owner of The Dispensary cannabis shop in Bangkok, said. 'The choice is no longer up to the customer. It's not like going to a restaurant and picking your favourite dish from a menu anymore.' And he warned that many of the shops that have sprouted since decriminalisation will 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,' Mr Poramat Jaikla, the lead seller or 'budtender', said. 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 has quit the coalition in a row over a leaked phone call between Ms Paetongtarn and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
Thai cannabis stores fret as government moves to tighten rules on sales
BANGKOK: 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.
