BANGKOK: Thailand , may re- list , cannabis , as a opioid by year- end, its prime minister said on Wednesday ( May 8 ), in a beautiful U- turn only two years after becoming one of the primary countries in Asia to decriminalise its outdoor use.
The movements come in spite of the local pot financial sector’s explosive growth over the past two decades, with tens of thousands of stores and companies opening up in Bangkok and Bangkok, according to estimates of an industry worth up to US$ 1.2 billion by 2025.
” I want the health department to alter the rules and are- list , cannabis , as a narcotic”, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media platform X.
The government should rapidly enact a rule that permits its exclusive use for medical and health purposes.
Cannabis , was decriminalised for health usage in 2018 and outdoor use in 2022 under a previous state, but critics say its liberalisation was rushed through, causing great uncertainty about rules and regulations.
Srettha’s comments came after he met with narcotics-suppression organizations and promised to take a tough stand against illicit drugs. He also mandated that authorities produce results and demonstrate” clear progress” within the next 90 days.
” Drugs is a problem that destroys the future of the country, many young people are addicted. We have to work fast, to confiscate assets ( of drug dealers ) and expand treatment”, he said.
He also asked authorities to redefine what constitutes drug possession under the law, from” small amount” to “one pill”, to enable tougher enforcement by authorities.