Anutin sees bright future for cannabis
by Apinya Wipatayotin
September 4, 2024
Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, on Tuesday expressed confidence that the party's pro-cannabis policy would be adopted by the new government so it can pick up in implementing it from where former prime minister Srettha Thavisin left off.
In July, Mr Srettha compromised with Mr Anutin on the cannabis issue by ordering a draft bill to regulate the plant's use for medical and research and development purposes. This marked a U-turn in the government's bid to relist cannabis as a narcotic drug.
Pushing to pass the cannabis control bill to strictly regulate cannabis use to promote people's health and for research purposes is one of the six policies Bhumjaithai was submitting to the ruling Pheu Thai Party to have incorporated into the coalition's main policies, which will be declared later in parliament, Mr Anutin said on Tuesday.
This policy was worded as the research and development of Thai herbs, including cannabis, he said.
Asked if the Democrat Party, which has strongly opposed Bhumjaithai's cannabis control bill, would be a problem now that it has become a new coalition partner, Mr Anutin said the former opposition party might not have sufficient votes to stop the bill even if it remained opposed to it.
"This new Democrat team isn't the same [as the previous one], and I believe in Democrat leader Chalermchai Sri-on's team spirit and his apparently better understanding of the needs of the public," said Mr Anutin.
As for the government's intention to push for an entertainment complex project, including a legal casino, Mr Anutin said Bhumjaithai, as a key coalition party, would support this as long as it is not abused to benefit certain groups.
"Actually, I'm not worried about this project because we have an ethical code which has a fairly broad scope to follow, and everyone seems to be extra careful about respecting that code now," he said.
Other policies proposed by Bhumjaithai include decentralisation, equal access to education, better water management and clean energy, he said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... r-cannabis
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Health ministry pledges to review weed laws
by Apinya Wipatayotin
October 9, 2025
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has pledged to review restrictive cannabis regulations following mounting pressure from the group "Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future," which has urged swift government action to revive the struggling industry.
Led by secretary-general Prasitchai Nunuan and chairwoman Chokwan Chopaka, the group met senior health officials, including deputy permanent secretary Dr Sakda Alapach, at the Public Health Ministry on Wednesday.
They also submitted letters to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat, calling for the reversal of measures imposed under former minister Somsak Thepsutin of the Pheu Thai Party, which they said had destroyed the cannabis sector.
The network demanded revocation of the 2025 ministerial announcement classifying cannabis as a controlled herb and a reinstatement of the 2022 version enacted under Mr Anutin's tenure. That regulation allowed cannabis sales without medical prescriptions and through registered shops, instead of restricting transactions to licensed clinics, Mr Prasitchai said.
The group also urged the ministry to amend cultivation rules, arguing mandatory laboratory testing of cannabis buds was unnecessary for growers already certified under Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standards. Such overlapping requirements, Mr Prasitchai said, have placed heavy burdens on small-scale farmers and caused severe financial losses.
The group also pressed for the withdrawal of a draft regulation that would allow only medical clinics to sell cannabis -- a move they said would reduce 10,000 licensed shops nationwide to just 100, creating an unfair monopoly. The network further called on the government to expedite submission of the long-delayed Cannabis Bill to parliament, emphasising that the draft was already ready for review.
"The ministry should abolish the current regulations within two weeks," Mr Prasitchai said. "If not, we will take the matter directly to the prime minister who initiated the policy."
Addressing public concerns about misuse, Mr Prasitchai said fears had been exaggerated and that the group supported regulations to prevent abuse while ensuring fair business opportunities.
Dr Sakda said the ministry had acknowledged all concerns and would assign the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine to conduct a participatory review within two weeks before submitting recommendations to the minister.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -weed-laws
by Apinya Wipatayotin
October 9, 2025
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has pledged to review restrictive cannabis regulations following mounting pressure from the group "Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future," which has urged swift government action to revive the struggling industry.
Led by secretary-general Prasitchai Nunuan and chairwoman Chokwan Chopaka, the group met senior health officials, including deputy permanent secretary Dr Sakda Alapach, at the Public Health Ministry on Wednesday.
They also submitted letters to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat, calling for the reversal of measures imposed under former minister Somsak Thepsutin of the Pheu Thai Party, which they said had destroyed the cannabis sector.
The network demanded revocation of the 2025 ministerial announcement classifying cannabis as a controlled herb and a reinstatement of the 2022 version enacted under Mr Anutin's tenure. That regulation allowed cannabis sales without medical prescriptions and through registered shops, instead of restricting transactions to licensed clinics, Mr Prasitchai said.
The group also urged the ministry to amend cultivation rules, arguing mandatory laboratory testing of cannabis buds was unnecessary for growers already certified under Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standards. Such overlapping requirements, Mr Prasitchai said, have placed heavy burdens on small-scale farmers and caused severe financial losses.
The group also pressed for the withdrawal of a draft regulation that would allow only medical clinics to sell cannabis -- a move they said would reduce 10,000 licensed shops nationwide to just 100, creating an unfair monopoly. The network further called on the government to expedite submission of the long-delayed Cannabis Bill to parliament, emphasising that the draft was already ready for review.
"The ministry should abolish the current regulations within two weeks," Mr Prasitchai said. "If not, we will take the matter directly to the prime minister who initiated the policy."
Addressing public concerns about misuse, Mr Prasitchai said fears had been exaggerated and that the group supported regulations to prevent abuse while ensuring fair business opportunities.
Dr Sakda said the ministry had acknowledged all concerns and would assign the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine to conduct a participatory review within two weeks before submitting recommendations to the minister.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -weed-laws