Thailand tightens cannabis rule after tourists caught trying to smuggle drug out
Thailand aims to clamp down on easy access to cannabis by mandating medical prescriptions amid rising instances of tourists attempting to smuggle out large quantities of weed.
Dispensaries will be allowed to sell cannabis only to those with licenses or with prescriptions from medical professionals, including traditional medicine practitioners, when proposed changes to existing rules take effect in about 40 days.
The amount sold will also be limited to 30 days of use, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
The new rules, which will be binding on locals and foreigners alike, come after Thai authorities intercepted 73kg (160lbs) of cannabis earlier this week at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport.
Weed smuggled out of Thailand has reached the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and many other destinations, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said. Thailand will now make it harder to access cannabis except for medical reasons, he added.
Thailand was the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, but has so far struggled to regulate and contain its free use.
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