Thailand is considering a ban on the recreational use of cannabis through a new bill aiming to address legal gaps following the country's initial decriminalization of the plant. The Health Ministry's draft legislation prohibits the recreational smoking and use of marijuana in any form, reserving its consumption for medical and health-related purposes. This proposal follows an earlier unsuccessful attempt to regulate the cannabis industry in parliament and aligns with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's commitment to confine marijuana use to medical applications due to concerns about addiction.
The bill outlines strict penalties for violations: individuals caught smoking cannabis for recreation could face fines of up to 60,000 baht ($1,720), while those involved in the sale of recreational cannabis or its extracts may encounter up to one year of imprisonment, fines reaching 100,000 baht, or a combination of both. This legislative effort reflects Thailand's ongoing endeavors to establish comprehensive regulations for cannabis use, balancing the potential benefits of medical applications with the government's commitment to curbing recreational use.
