Thailand is one step closer to reclassifying cannabis as a drug

Thailand has made progress in reclassifying cannabis as a drug after a committee charged with controlling illicit drugs agreed that cannabis and industrial hemp should not be used for recreational purposes.

'All members of the committee agreed on the principle that cannabis should only be used for medical purposes,' Surachoke Tangwiwat, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post. Most agreed that cannabis and industrial hemp (hemp) should be put back on the list of drugs.

The commission is scheduled to submit its report to the office of the Drug Enforcement Administration next week. If approved by the Office of the Drug Control Administration, the Thai Food and Drug Administration will amend the laws related to cannabis and specify the criteria for its use. The goal is for the new rules to take effect on January 1.

Thailand became the first country in Asia to legalize marijuana in 2022. Since then, thousands of cannabis retail outlets and other related businesses have opened across the country, Bloomberg reports.

Earlier this year, Thai Prime Minister Sudthar ordered officials to take steps to limit the use of marijuana to medical purposes. The move sparked a backlash from marijuana advocacy groups and businesses, who held rallies and threatened legal challenges to the decision.