On Tuesday, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to fully decriminalize marijuana. The move is a first step to reversing the strict drug laws in the region. Neighboring Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia still impose some of the world’s harshest restrictions against the recreational drug.
In 2020, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalize the production and use of marijuana for medical purposes. Under changes made in that year, most parts of the cannabis plant that were removed from the country’s list of controlled drugs, however seeds and buds, which are used recreationally, remained on the list. The newly announced changes will remove all parts of the plant from the controlled list.
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that the country’s narcotics control agency approved removing marijuana from the list of controlled drugs. As the drug is not fully legalized, recreational use and trafficking of marijuana remains in a legal gray area.
The delisting by Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration must be signed by the health minister before being fully formalized 120 days after its publication in the government gazette, Fox News reported. The move to decriminalize marijuana follows the country’s decision to strike the cannabis plant species from the list of illegal drugs. The categorization of cannabis includes both marijuana and hemp.
It remains unclear if possession or recreational use can subject an individual to arrest due to the number of related laws pertaining to the production and possession of the drug, the Associated Press reported.
According to Fox News, Anutin has been a “driving force” behind marijuana’s decriminalization. The politician campaigned in 2019 for the legalization of marijuana production to help farmers and has supported turning cannabis into a major industry – the first of its kind in the region.
Anutin said that the country’s decision to delist marijuana from its list of controlled substances "responds to the government's urgent policy in developing marijuana and hemp for medical and health care benefits, developing technology and creating income for the public."
On Wednesday, Anutin’s party said it is drafting a parliamentary proposal to clarify the full legal status of marijuana.
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