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Thai health minister reaffirms move to reclassify marijuana as narcotic, blocking Bhumjaithai's bill
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin has confirmed the Thai government's plan to reclassify marijuana as a Category 5 narcotic, a decisive reversal of the cannabis liberalisation policy introduced in 2022.
In a statement made on 18 June 2025, Somsak reiterated his intention to prohibit recreational cannabis use and criticised the Bhumjaithai Party's cannabis policy as the cause of widespread regulatory and social issues.
He also declared that the party's Cannabis Control Bill, aimed at regulating the plant's use post-decriminalisation, would not be passed under the current government.
According to The Nation, speaking at Government House, Somsak described the Bhumjaithai-led bill as 'a daydream' and said its proposed enactment was unrealistic given the current administration's stance.
According to Somsak, the initial failure to enact proper regulations after cannabis was removed from the narcotics list in 2022 led to a chaotic situation, with over 10,000 cannabis shops operating without clear oversight.
The plant had been removed from Category 5 of the Narcotics Code under the leadership of Anutin Charnvirakul, then Public Health Minister and leader of the Bhumjaithai Party.
Anutin's push was initially justified as promoting medical use and economic growth, but critics argue it inadvertently created a legal grey area that fuelled unregulated access.
Somsak accused Anutin of failing to issue the necessary ministerial regulations to control cannabis use, which he claims undermined public safety and regulatory discipline.
He denied that his current crackdown on cannabis is politically motivated, despite its timing shortly after Bhumjaithai's exit from the ruling coalition.
'This is not political. It's a chronic problem. The government has received a large number of complaints related to cannabis abuse,' Somsak stated.
The Srettha Thavisin administration had previously designated cannabis as a 'controlled herb' under the Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Protection Act.
While this allowed cannabis shops to operate, Somsak noted it lacked adequate legal frameworks to restrict usage to medical contexts.
On 17 June 2025, Somsak signed an order requiring anyone seeking to purchase cannabis for medical purposes to present a doctor's prescription and a certified medical condition.
New rules will also be introduced for cannabis shops. These include mandatory on-site doctors, monthly inspections, and a strict two-strike policy under which licences will be revoked if shops are found in breach twice.
The regulation will be enacted via ministerial directive following public consultations, which were held from 22 May to 10 June. According to Somsak, the majority of public opinion supported stricter cannabis controls.
The tightening of cannabis policy has led to renewed tensions with Bhumjaithai. Supachai Jaisamut, a senior figure in the party, has criticised the Ministry of Public Health for failing to establish proper regulation following cannabis's delisting.
He reiterated that Bhumjaithai supported cannabis use solely for medical purposes and had sought to manage its use via the 2021 Cannabis Control Bill.
He further highlighted that the bill had received parliamentary approval, including votes from Pheu Thai MPs, pointing to political inconsistency.
The cannabis issue has exposed deeper rifts within the government. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who took over as prime minister after Srettha's departure, initially attempted to strike a balance by supporting cannabis for medical and economic purposes.
However, with Bhumjaithai no longer part of the coalition, Somsak has returned to a stricter approach, supported by Prime Minister Paetongtarn, who instructed him to conduct reviews and enforce tighter controls.
Discussions between Somsak and Paetongtarn's advisory team concluded on 14 May 2025 that cannabis should be limited strictly to medical use.
The reclassification of marijuana under Category 5 is expected to proceed in the near future, though no exact timeline has been given.
The announcement signals a full-scale rollback of cannabis liberalisation in Thailand and marks a definitive end to Bhumjaithai's flagship policy, at least under the current administration.
