Thailand is on the verge of banning cannabis, just 18 months after the country decriminalized the drug, following a spike in cannabis-related hospital admissions and crime.
Since June 2022, when marijuana was decriminalized as a controlled substance, hospital admissions for cannabis-induced mental health problems have doubled to 63,000 patients per year in the country.
Reports of drug-induced violence and abuse have also increased sharply, while reports that children can purchase the drug continue to rise.
Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize marijuana in 2019, when the Bhumjaithai Party promised it would be a lucrative cash crop for poor farmers in the north – who traditionally rely on rice and rubber to make ends meet.
Thailand has faced widespread repercussions after dropping cannabis as a controlled substance, leading to the country now tightening its laws
Bangkok (left) and Phuket (right): The above maps show how two popular tourist areas in Thailand are now completely overrun with cannabis shops
But decriminalization has given rise to a large unregulated black market.
Data shows that more than 6,000 shops have sprung up in the country, many of which are unlicensed.
There has also been a huge increase in the number of tourists visiting the country to use marijuana recreationally, which adds to the funding cannabis-themed cafes and hemp spas.
In response, the country’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has called cannabis a “major problem” and vowed to take action – after he is elected in August 2023.
Top officials are now proposing a bill that would allow the use of cannabis “for amusement or pleasure,” a crime punishable by a fine of $1,700 (60,000 baht) and imprisonment for up to one year.
It comes at a time when the US is facing similar problems, with thousands of pot shops – many of them unregulated – popping up in many major cities, amid reports of spikes in psychological problems and addiction among young people.
Last week, Health Minister Chonlanan Srikaew revealed that he had recommended a bill that would ban recreational cannabis.
“We have drafted this law to prohibit the misuse of cannabis,” Health Minister Srikaew said earlier.
“Any recreational use is wrong.”
Marijuana is generally considered a low-risk drug, but consistent use can cause a host of health risks, including severe depression, poor sleep and dependence.
The above shows cannabis use in US states. Twenty-one states and DC have legalized it for recreational use in addition to medicinal use, while almost all states now allow it to be used for medicinal purposes
The new bill would impose stiff fines and possible prison sentences on people who use the drug recreationally if it becomes law.
In Thailand, it is already illegal to smoke weed in public, carrying a fine of $700 (25,000 baht).
Officially, recreational use of marijuana is illegal in the country. But in practice, poor regulation has led to many using the drug without a medical prescription.
Data shows that among people aged 20 to 29, the proportion using cannabis more than tripled from one percent to three percent in 2021 – before regulations were relaxed. This figure is now likely much higher, officials say.
Data from the country’s Ministry of Health shows that the number of Thais seeking treatment for medical problems rose from 37,000 in 2022 to as many as 63,000 in 2023, an increase of more than 70 percent.
There are also anecdotal reports of rising crime rates and spikes in drug-related violence.
The Thai bill must be approved by the Cabinet, approved by Parliament and signed by the country’s king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, before it becomes law. But it already enjoys broad support among the country’s political parties.
A total of 24 US states have now legalized marijuana for recreational use, with red-leaning Ohio being the last in November last year.
No state has yet reversed legalization, but there has been a shift in public sentiment, with Americans in many states now voting against measures to legalize recreational cannabis.
This included Oklahoma, which rejected the proposal last March despite cannabis companies spending more than $4.9 million on advertising.
The US federal government is currently considering reducing marijuana to a Schedule III substance – similar to steroids, ketamine and testosterone. Currently, it is regulated as a Schedule I substance – at the same level as heroin, ecstasy and LSD, drugs that are considered to have a high potential for abuse and no medical uses.
Thailand removed cannabis from its list of controlled substances in June 2022, labeling it instead as a ‘controlled herb’.
This allowed local residents to grow and trade marijuana and hemp products, as long as they had a permit.
The move was aimed at providing poor farmers in the north with a new cash crop as they traditionally rely on rubber and rice, which have low value.
But it is poorly regulated, leading to an explosion of pot shops across the country.
Cities like Chiang Mai and the capital Bangkok are now even holding cannabis festivals – while tourists from nearby countries where the drug is illegal, such as Japan and Singapore, are visiting in droves.
The drug was only legal to sell to people over the age of 20 who were not pregnant or trying to buy the drug online – and who were using it for medical purposes, for which marijuana was legalized in 2019.
‘Kitty’ Chopaka, a Thai cannabis rights activist, told us NPR: ‘You can ask any Thai on the side of the road: what do you think of medicinal cannabis? Everyone will go, this is great, fully support it.
‘But when you get into – what about sales, what about recreational use? There’s still a… we’re not so sure.”
The Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has asked the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to downgrade cannabis from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance
Marijuana has previously been praised for its benefits for pain relief and anxiety treatment, with many insisting it was not addictive.
But the drug is now stronger than ever before, with higher levels of THC – the psychoactive chemical in the drug – which experts say floods the brain with feel-good chemicals and causes addiction.
Many have also started using the drug daily, creating an addiction and dependence that is not easy to overcome.
Previous studies have linked marijuana to schizophrenia, psychosis and depression.
Some have also suggested that it permanently changes the brains of young adults who use the drug – with the brain not maturing until a person is in their late 20s.