The escalating battle over cannabis in Thailand’s Parliament means the herb is unlikely to be recriminalised or more tightly regulated anytime soon.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin reversed his tough stance on relisting ganja as a narcotic on July 23 after Bhumjaithai, a key coalition partner in his government, fought back fiercely against the plan.
Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul, who doubles as deputy prime minister and interior minister, warned of economic consequences if the government changed its marijuana policy.
“Who would want to invest in Thailand?” he asked.
Numerous investors, both domestic and foreign, have set up marijuana and related businesses in Thailand since Bhumjaithai successfully pushed for the legalisation of cannabis. Thailand’s rapidly expanding cannabis and hemp industry is now worth 36.52 billion baht, up from 31.75 billion baht last year, according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Economic and Business Forecasting.
Last weekend, Anutin played golf with Thaksin Shinawatra who, as patriarch of the coalition-leading Pheu Thai Party, is believed to wield huge influence over Srettha.
The prime minister has now decided to handle the explosion in the recreational use of marijuana not via prohibition but with legislation governing its availability.
Legal vacuum continues
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said there were now four separate marijuana bills being considered, but the legislative process was progressing slowly. As such, Thailand should first put marijuana back on the narcotics list, he added.
“However, I have to respect the National Narcotics Control Board’s decision. Let’s see what the board decides,” he said.
On July 5, the National Narcotics Committee passed a resolution to relist marijuana as a narcotic, but the resolution will only take effect if it is endorsed by the board.
Medics have expressed frustration over the delay in controlling cannabis use.
Dr Smith Srisont, a member of the Medical Council and president of the Forensic Physician Association of Thailand, said recent developments showed politicking was obstructing the path to proper regulation.
“Going back and forth or emphasising that cannabis control should be done via the marijuana law means the legal vacuum will continue,” he said. “And the public will continue to bear the brunt.”
Anutin, despite his claims, had never really listened to what others said about marijuana’s adverse health impacts, Smith lamented.
“Research in both Thailand and other countries shows marijuana consumption causes many negative effects, but he [Anutin] keeps saying there is no solid evidence for this,” he said.
Legal marijuana’s dark side
Prof Dr Sawitri Assanangkornchai, who teaches at Prince of Songkla University’s Faculty of Medicine, revealed findings of research she led on Thailand’s marijuana policy at a recent seminar. She said the findings indicated that one in five Thais have used marijuana, mostly for recreational purposes.
“Youths start using marijuana out of curiosity,” she said, adding that the herb is now easily available, with almost all Thais having a marijuana shop within 400 metres of their home. Cannabis is also sold online via popular platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Line.
A study by Chulalongkorn University’s Centre for Addiction Studies, meanwhile, estimates that the number of marijuana users in Thailand jumped to 11 million in 2023, up from 1.8 million in 2021, before marijuana was removed from the narcotics list.
Dr Bundit Sornpaisarn, a researcher at Canada’s Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and an honorary advisor to the Youth Network Against Cannabis (YNAC), told the same seminar that the number of patients seeking treatment for cannabis-related illnesses has increased in Thailand in tandem with rising use of the herb.
“Outpatients [with cannabis-related conditions] rose from 18,806 in 2022 to 32,634 last year,” he said, “The number of inpatients increased from 2,322 to 5,924 over the same period.”
Meanwhile, cannabis-connected mental disorder cases also soared in number, reaching 20,502 in 2023 from 10,665 the year before.
Somsak said even though the government had tried to control medical expenses, the cost of treating patients adversely affected by marijuana consumption skyrocketed from 3.2-3.8 billion baht between 2019 and 2021 to 15-21 billion baht between 2022 and 2023.
Too long to wait?
The Youth Network against Cannabis has urged Srettha to maintain efforts to relist marijuana as a narcotic, saying the promise to tighten cannabis control via a dedicated law sounded far-fetched.
“The relisting effort needs just one more step,” the network said in a statement. “The legislation of a new law, meanwhile, will likely take several years at least.”
Analysts reckon none of the marijuana bills were likely to sail through Parliament soon since the current coalition government has just 314 MPs and 71 of them are from Bhumjaithai Party. If this key coalition partner refuses to back any draft law, it is unlikely to pass.
Analysts add that the ruling Pheu Thai Party will definitely prefer to reach a compromise over cannabis given that its term lasts another three years.
It is thought that the Bhumjaithai Party will block efforts either to put marijuana back on the narcotics list or to tighten its control with a marijuana bill.
Cannabis farmers, businesses speak out
Wittawin Vidthayanon, chief executive officer of Salus Bioceutical (Thailand), said the country’s booming marijuana industry would suffer a huge blow if the government relisted marijuana as a narcotic.
“Between 70,000 and 80,000 people work in the industry,” he said, adding that farmers and suppliers of equipment and seeds would all be affected.
Wittawin believes his own company, a manufacturer of hemp/cannabis extracts, will face only minor impacts from a law change since it has ensured that its products can be used for medical purposes.
Prof Dr Arnat Tancho of Maejo University said that currently, a high proportion of cannabis in Thailand is imported illegally, mostly from the United States.
“I agree with the idea of putting marijuana back on the narcotic list so that we can regulate its usage better,” he said.
Currently, many community enterprises in Thailand are faltering because they cannot find enough buyers for the marijuana they grow.
“We have 1,000 tons in stock but can’t sell it,” said Saptawee Deebudcha, secretary to the Ban Na Nong Wai Community Enterprise in Nakhon Phanom.
Another community enterprise in Nakhon Ratchasima is farming just 10% of its land devoted to cannabis.
“In the beginning, we could sell at a really good price. But now, we can’t find a market,” said Montri Yiamsoongnern, chairman of the Khon Korat Rak Gan Community Enterprise.
An industry source said that as well as smuggled cannabis, Thai cannabis farmers are also struggling with falling demand because cannabis on menus is no longer popular. Additionally, people can also grow cannabis at home for their own consumption. They no longer have to buy from others.
By Thai PBS World’s General Desk
