Thai Cannabis Supporters Rally Against Government’s Plan to Reclassify Marijuana

Cannabis Advocates in Thailand Rally Against Government’s Plan to Reclassify Marijuana

In a bold display of defiance, hundreds of cannabis entrepreneurs, farmers, and activists gathered in Bangkok to protest the Thai government’s sudden decision to reclassify marijuana as a narcotic. Just two years after decriminalizing the plant, the government’s policy U-turn has sparked outrage and threats of legal action from the cannabis community.

At a rally in front of the United Nations’ regional headquarters, nearly 2,000 signatures were collected in support of a legal petition to challenge the government’s move. Cannabis advocates held up posters with messages like “stop villainizing cannabis” as they voiced their opposition to the reclassification.

The petition, which will be filed with an administrative court against Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, aims to stall the government’s plan and highlight the potential financial losses that individuals in the cannabis industry could suffer. Jerawat Tanyaprirom, a cannabis business owner leading the petition, emphasized the need to have legal ammunition to fight against the re-criminalization.

The government’s decision to put cannabis back on the list of “category five” narcotics has thrown the local cannabis industry into uncertainty. Since decriminalization in 2022, Thailand has seen a boom in cannabis-related businesses, with dispensaries selling a variety of products containing the plant.

While the government has stated that cannabis for medical and health purposes will still be allowed, many advocacy groups are calling for regulation of the industry through legislation rather than blanket re-criminalization. They argue that using the narcotics law would restrict access to cannabis and limit its growth potential.

As tensions rise between the government and cannabis advocates, a fresh rally is planned for June 9, the second anniversary of Thailand’s decriminalization policy. With over 1 million households registered to plant cannabis and commercial cultivation on the rise, the future of the cannabis industry in Thailand hangs in the balance.

The fight for the decriminalization and regulation of cannabis continues as stakeholders in Thailand’s cannabis community stand united against the government’s policy U-turn.