Thai marijuana shop owners and activists were faced with plans from the new government on Thursday to tighten rules for selling the drug with doctor approval after three years of decriminalization.
The kingdom is the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalize drugs when it is removed from marijuana from the list of banned narcotics in June 2022.
The goal is to allow the sale of medical care rather than recreational activities, but the move has led to hundreds of big cannabis “dispensaries” popping up across the country, especially in Bangkok.
While relaxation has proven to be popular among some visitors, there are concerns that the industry is under insufficient regulation.
Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed an order late Tuesday to require on-site doctors to approve sales for medical reasons.
The rule will only take effect after it is published in the Official Royal Gazette. It is not clear when it will happen.
Longtime marijuana activist and store owner Thanatat Chotiwong said it was “unfair” to suddenly change the rules of now established industries.
“It’s a mature industry, not just flower growers. There are lighting suppliers, construction workers, farmers, soil and fertilizer developers and serious R&D,” he told AFP.
“Some of us have invested tens of millions of baht in greenhouses and infrastructure. Then, the government suddenly stepped in and shut it down.”
Thanatat urged the government to “implement proper taxation and regulation so that this income can be returned to society in a meaningful way.”
“Too few doctors”
The government has previously issued announcements on plans to limit marijuana, including legislation last February, but none of them have come true.
The new regulations mean that marijuana can be sold to customers for medical reasons under the supervision of a licensed professional, such as a doctor, a traditional Thai medical doctor, a civil therapist or a dentist.
Kajkanit Sakdisubha, owner of the Bangkok dispensary cannabis store, told the AFP: “It will be like this: The customer comes in, speaks out their symptoms, and the doctor decides how many grams of marijuana is appropriate and which symptoms are to be prescribed.”
“The choice is no longer up to the customer, but no longer enjoying going to a restaurant to pick your favorite dishes from the menu.”
He warned that many budding stores have been unable to adapt to change since their decriminalization.
“The reality is that there are too few doctors available. I believe many entrepreneurs know that regulations are coming, but no one knows when,” he said.
Store manager Bukoree said the pharmacy is stopping marijuana sales while waiting for the rules to take effect.
“The client itself is not sure what they are doing is legal. I’ve received a lot of calls,” lead seller or “member” Poramat Jaikla told AFP.
The marijuana move was led by Prime Minister Paetontarn Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party, which hung a line after losing its main alliance partner Bhumjaithai.
Despite the conservatives, the Bhumjaithai party has long supported looser laws on marijuana.
The party this month quits the alliance in a row on calls between Paetontarn and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
