The Great De-lister of Cannabis in Thailand Calls Out The Uniformed Re-listers

The previous Health Minster and current Deputy Prime Minister has been quiet about the new ruling party's announced tightening of cannabis rules. This week Mr. Anutin was provoked to speak out

Why has virtually every quote from a government official about cannabis in Thailand been as clear as mud? Latest example, from the new Health Minister: "The government aims to allow cannabis to be used for medicinal purposes, to promote good health and to stimulate the economy."

Is it because, as a top Thai cannabis advocate here once told me, "Since they know the people want drama, they keep them in suspense"?

The Health Minister's words tell us exactly nothing. The question is whether "medicinal purposes" will include fresh dried flower, and if yes, how will the medical weed be obtained.

If he is talking about the medical use model in South Korea or Japan, you can be sure the new prohibitions will not "stimulate the economy". In those countries, flower has always been strictly prohibited and possession harshly punished.

Following that model would ignite a new and fierce drug war, as tons of fresh dried flower ready for harvest and tons more growing all goes underground, law abiding entrepreneurs are converted into felons if they don't give up their business, and patients who rely on cannabis see that it is much easier and cheaper to get their cannabis on the black market.

And underage weed smoking would increase as it becomes cool and edgy again.

The Health Minister tried to explain with a shovel full of vague remarks that again said next to nothing: "…permits would be required to grow and use cannabis for medical purposes and research, and recreational use will be banned under new legislation."

This sentence is indecipherable. What is the difference between "medical purposes..." and "recreational use".

No one knows. No one.

So-called "recreational use" was never legalized in Thailand. It was never defined. Cannabis was delisted as a narcotic.

This was followed by the rejection of the Cannabis Act that supplied regulations. The Act was blocked for political reasons.

Mr Anutin delisted cannabis to fulfill his party's signature policy proposal,i.e., cannabis legalization.

The current ruling party, the one that scolded Mr. Anutin and accused him of bringing shame to Thailand by legalizing cannabis, wants to undo what he accomplished back on June 9, 2022.

He thinks this is bullshit and he is finally saying so: “What has been left unexplained is why we are not pushing to pass a cannabis and hemp control law instead.

Also, why hasn’t the vast increase in cannabis use for medicinal purposes been mentioned?”

A true statement followed by a smart rhetorical question whose only answer is: because it's not about a love of medical cannabis; it's about demagoguing stigma and stirring up fear.

Mr. Anutin is aware of this nefarious motive.

Suppose the current administration wants to reverse that decision. In that case, it will have to give a clear explanation to those who have invested millions of baht in the cannabis business, he said.