Thai Government’s Cannabis Flip-Flop: What’s Next?

The Health Minister Cholnan Shrikaew announced that the government will soon pass a law ensuring that cannabis will only be used for medical purposes. Cholnan made this statement to clarify Prime Minister Sretta Taviseena’s recent remarks about reinstating cannabis on the list of narcotics.

Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was evidently shocked by Sretta’s comment and stated that he had to listen to the entire interview before responding. Anutin, who served as health minister in the previous government, advocated for removing cannabis from the national list of narcotics.

During the 2019 general elections campaign, Anutin’s party “Bhumjaithai” promised voters to decriminalize cannabis for medical treatment and use it as a commodity for the country.

The return of cannabis to the narcotics list will spark conflicts between the coalition leader Phyu Tai and Bhumjaithai, a key partner.

On Tuesday, Cholnan stated that Sretta may express personal views, but it does not reflect the government’s policy. He emphasized that the coalition has already announced its policy – cannabis will be used for medical, health, and economic stimulation.

According to the current legislation, only cannabis extract containing 0.2% or more tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by mass will be considered a narcotic.

Cholnan added that the bill regulating the use of cannabis for health and wellness purposes has already been drafted and will soon be submitted to the Cabinet.

“The bill will provide a legal basis for the policy presented to Parliament,” Cholnan said. “Since cannabis is not a narcotic, there must be a law regulating it in accordance with the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which states that countries that do not criminalize cannabis must adopt a law regulating it.”

Under the new bill, anyone who uses cannabis for purposes other than medical or health will be punished.

He said that reintroducing cannabis to the narcotics list will have serious consequences, as it has been decriminalized for several years. It will affect the private sector, shops, and households growing cannabis for medical purposes.

The minister added that once the new law is passed, anyone who wants to grow cannabis for personal use must first obtain permission.