Facts and Analysis of Thailand’s Cannabis Policies: a Public Health Perspective

Abstract

Cannabis policies in Thailand have changed rapidly from the absolute prohibition of cannabis use in 1979, to legalizing its medical use in 2019, and recreational use in 2022. To answer four questions, which have been widely debated in Thailand, the authors conducted a thematic analysis by reviewing government documents and cannabis-related news articles published until 30 September 2022. Our answers follow. Firstly, the current legalization, based on a Ministry of Public Health’s (MoPH) ministerial announcement only applies to recreational cannabis and no value-added to medical cannabis. This is because the announcement only legalizes the use of cannabis flowers and hemp, in addition to the other parts of the plant already legalized. Moreover, this legalization began without any public health control measures being put in place. Second, the MoPH later launched two control measures: a prohibition of smoking cannabis and hemp when it creates a nuisance for others, and a prohibition on selling nonlicensed cannabis and hemp. However, to date, these control measures have not been enforced, resulting in a situation which can be characterized as a policy vacuum for cannabis legalization. The third theme relates to the Cannabis and Hemp Bill currently under review in the Parliament, which will supposedly be a law for medical and economic uses of cannabis and hemp. However, it actually allows for the recreational use of cannabis, including growing and smoking cannabis and hemp in households. The current version after the first deliberations also includes measures to control retailers of cannabis and hemp flowers and resins. Lastly, there are some policy recommendations to consider. A solution to the current policy vacuum for cannabis legalization would be to cancel the ministerial announcement on cannabis legalization, and reconsider whether Thailand wants medical cannabis or recreational cannabis and design policies accordingly.