Thailand starts banning cannabis sales without prescriptions
More than 18,000 licensed shops now face closure if they fail to comply with the new, stricter medical-only requirements
The new order, signed by Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin earlier this week, came into effect on Thursday after it was published in the Royal Gazette. It bans shops from selling cannabis to customers without a prescription and reclassifies cannabis buds as a controlled herb.
A violation could result in a maximum one-year jail term and a 20,000 baht (US$614) fine, according to the order.
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, in charge of enforcing regulations related to cannabis, held a meeting on Friday with officials across the country to prepare them for the change.
The move to decriminalise in 2022 had boosted Thailand’s tourism and farming industries, and spawned thousands of shops.
But the country has faced public backlash over allegations that a lack of regulation made the drug available to children and caused addiction.