BANGKOK — Thailand will move towards legalizing marijuana for medical use, a deputy prime minister announced on Tuesday , indicating a reversal of plans to re-criminalize the plant and another shift in the government's unclear stance on cannabis. In 2022, Thailand became one of the first Asian countries to decriminalize marijuana, doing so without comprehensive laws or clear regulations to prevent recreational use. This led to a surge in recreational consumption and the emergence of numerous cannabis cafes and retailers, raising public concerns about abuse.

Deputy Premier Anutin Charnvirakul, whose party championed marijuana liberalization, stated that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin now agrees that legislation is the appropriate course of action. "I thank the prime minister for considering this matter and deciding on issuing an act," Anutin said.

While the government has maintained that recreational use of cannabis is prohibited, Prime Minister Srettha, from a different party, had previously stated he would re-criminalize it, except for medical use and research. "Whether it is a narcotic or not is up to parliament," said Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general to the prime minister, adding that the draft law would be debated in parliament.

A draft law on marijuana was introduced by the previous administration but was not voted on before parliament was dissolved ahead of last year’s election. It is unclear whether measures will be taken to curb recreational use, as advocated by Srettha. Thailand's domestic marijuana retail sector has grown rapidly, with the industry expected to be worth up to US$1.2 billion (S$1.6 billion) by 2025. The Bhumjaithai Party, the second largest in the ruling coalition and led by Anutin, supports marijuana for health and economic purposes but not for recreational use, and opposes re-criminalization.

Nattabhorn Buamahakul, Managing Partner at government affairs consultancy Vero Advocacy, noted that the latest developments suggest improved coordination between government coalition parties on the cannabis issue. The policy reversal reflects greater alignment between the coalition parties compared to last year when the government was formed, Nattabhorn said.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.