In 2022, Thailand made regional history when it became the first country in Southeast Asia to remove cannabis from its national narcotics list. The public policy change resulted in thousands of cannabis retailers popping up across the country.
Unfortunately, the public policy change proved to be short-lived, with Thailand’s Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin signing a measure last month that placed cannabis back on the narcotics list, making it a “controlled herb.” The rescheduling change is part of a growing cannabis crackdown in Thailand that is resulting in a vast majority of cannabis retailers being forced to shut down.
“The new regulations – set to be enforced by the end of the year – would leave about 2,000 of Thailand’s estimated 18,000 cannabis shops in operation, a Ministry of Public Health official said on Tuesday.” reported South China Morning Post in its local coverage.
“Officials have already begun a compliance sweep of existing businesses. Nearly 1,600 cannabis shops have reportedly been inspected so far, resulting in 82 licence suspensions and 322 closures.” the outlet also reported.
All cannabis sales in Thailand will eventually require a medical prescription, and retailers will be required to have an on-site licensed medical professional at every location. All cannabis products in Thailand will be required to be sourced from licensed suppliers and undergo rigorous testing for contaminants.
In addition to requiring tailored training for all cannabis-prescribing medical professionals, all staffers at the nation’s remaining cannabis dispensaries will also have to complete a required training. An estimated 100,000 dispensary staffers are expected to take the necessary training once it is offered.
Thailand’s government is also setting up a national prescription tracking system as part of new regulations. At its peak, Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry was valued at over $1 billion. However, that market value is presumably about to reduce considerably.