30-07-2025
Weed networks still fuming
The Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future Network on Tuesday filed a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to probe Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin and other officials for issuing the latest cannabis regulations to please investors rather than small-scale growers.
The complaint outlined five key concerns, including the removal of protection for vulnerable groups previously included in the 2022 regulation, such as a ban on cannabis sales to young people under 20.
The 2025 version replaces the ban with a medical prescription system, making access far easier for the young, whom the state should protect, said the network.
The group also touched on the imposition of Good Agriculture and Collection Practice (GACP), which requires that distributors and exporters must be certified by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine.
However, the criteria of the certifications and the sources of the cannabis are never announced, and thus, only a few are ever granted.
The complaint addressed cannabis growers, many of whom have held legal licences and have been operating under the 2022 regulation. They now find that their products are unsellable, resulting in major losses for small businesses and communities.
The regulation will also take immediate effect upon publication in the Royal Gazette, without allowing time for adaptation for the nearly 20,000 licensed shops, the network noted.
The pro-cannabis network also accused the minister of unethical conduct due to his association with certain business groups in public and a lack of transparency, which limited access to economic opportunities for growers.
The network said Mr Somsak, as public health minister, understands the cannabis industry in Thailand and the repercussions once the regulations come into effect. Yet, it added that he proceeded without any backup measures, which suggests his intention to benefit certain investors.
