Thailand tightens cannabis rule after tourists caught trying to smuggle drug out

The new rules mandating medical prescriptions for sales come after authorities intercept 73kg of cannabis at Bangkok’s main airport

Thailand aims to clamp down on easy access to cannabis by mandating medical prescriptions amid rising instances of tourists attempting to smuggle out large quantities of weed.

Dispensaries will be allowed to sell cannabis only to those with licenses or with prescriptions from medical professionals, including traditional medicine practitioners, when proposed changes to existing rules take effect in about 40 days.

The amount sold will also be limited to 30 days of use, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

The new rules, which will be binding on locals and foreigners alike, come after Thai authorities intercepted 73kg (160lbs) of cannabis earlier this week at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport.

Weed smuggled out of Thailand has reached the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and many other destinations, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said. Thailand will now make it harder to access cannabis except for medical reasons, he added.

Thailand was the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, but has so far struggled to regulate and contain its free use.

A legal vacuum, without a cannabis law in place, has allowed more than 10,700 cannabis dispensaries to open nationwide, with many in popular tourist areas and business districts in Bangkok and beyond.

The Southeast Asian country has also made several policy U-turns after recreational smoking became a hot-button issue due to wider societal concerns over addiction.

Somsak’s ruling Pheu Thai Party had vowed to re-list marijuana as a narcotic to restrict its use to just medical purposes, but opposition from Bhumjaithai Party, the second-biggest group in the ruling coalition, has forced Pheu Thai to walk back on its pledge and keep the plant legal.

While cannabis can be consumed within Thailand, it has been smuggled out of the country in tourist luggages or by mail.

Since British and Thai authorities joined forces last year, over 50 British nationals have been arrested in Thailand for attempted cannabis smuggling.

Thai airport authorities have also intercepted over 800 cannabis smugglers and seized over 8 tonnes (9 tons) of cannabis, the British government said in a statement.

The new rules are likely to be temporary as Thailand is still working on a full-fledged cannabis bill to regulate the wider uses, sales, exports and production of the plant. The draft bill was unveiled in September but has not been approved by the cabinet or reached parliament for deliberation.

“The cannabis bill will go on its own track, but it can’t be rushed. We’re looking at two more years before it’s ready,” Somsak told reporters. “If people are still unhappy, we’ll re-criminalise it.”

The public and industry stakeholders have until June 5 to submit feedback on the proposed ministry regulation, which will then be submitted to the cabinet for approval.