The new government of Thailand is moving to recriminalise cannabis, killing an industry which has grown to be worth at least $1 billion, which has boomed ever since the substance was taken off the country’s banned substance and narcotics list.
This comes after the party that championed the legalisation of weed three years ago, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew from the coalition government following the Thai Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s alleged mishandling of a border dispute with Cambodia, a neighboring country of Thailand. The new curriculum was announced on Tuesday.
The Health Ministry of the country issued an order informing every medical vendor about the criminalisation of the substance for recreational use and not to give anybody cannabis items without a proper prescription. The new curriculum will come into effect once the government publishes it in the Royal Gazette, which could happen in the next few days. The health minister of the country, Somsak Thepsuthin, said, “Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future.”
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This is especially shocking because only three years ago, the country legalised the sale of cannabis for recreational purposes and became one of the first Asian countries to do so. However, the government refrained from developing comprehensive rules to govern the sector. Ever since then, hundreds, if not thousands, of new businesses have come flocking in, riding the new cannabis wave, making it a $1 billion industry in the process.
Now, the vendors fear that this decision will result in heavy losses as over the three years, many shopkeepers and vendors have invested a lot of money in this business, which will all be in vain now.
