Surge in Cannabis Smuggling Prompts Thailand to Tighten Rules

Thailand goals to clamp down on quick access to hashish by mandating medical prescriptions amid rising situations of vacationers trying to smuggle out giant portions of weed. 

Dispensaries shall be allowed to promote hashish solely to these with licenses or with prescriptions from medical professionals, together with conventional medication practitioners, when proposed adjustments to current guidelines take impact in about 40 days. The quantity offered will even be restricted to 30 days of use, in keeping with the Ministry of Public Health.

The new guidelines, which shall be binding on locals and foreigners alike, come after Thai authorities intercepted 73 kilograms of hashish earlier this week at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport. Weed smuggled out of Thailand has reached the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and plenty of different locations, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin mentioned. Thailand will now make it tougher to entry hashish apart from medical causes, he added. 

Thailand was the primary nation in Asia to decriminalize hashish in 2022, however has to this point struggled to control and comprise its free use. A authorized vacuum, and not using a hashish legislation in place, has allowed greater than 10,700 hashish dispensaries to open nationwide, with many in in style vacationer areas and enterprise districts in Bangkok and past. 

The Southeast Asian nation has additionally made a number of coverage u-turns after leisure smoking turned a hot-button concern because of wider societal considerations over habit. Somsak’s ruling Pheu Thai Party had vowed to re-list marijuana as a narcotic to limit its use to simply medical functions, however opposition from Bhumjaithai Party, the second-biggest group within the ruling coalition, has compelled Pheu Thai to stroll again on its pledge and preserve the plant authorized.

While hashish might be consumed inside Thailand, it has been smuggled in a foreign country in vacationer luggages or by mail. Since British and Thai authorities joined forces final yr, over 50 British nationals have been arrested in Thailand for tried hashish smuggling. Thai airport authorities have additionally intercepted over 800 hashish smugglers and seized over 9 tons of hashish, the British authorities mentioned in a press release. 

The new guidelines are more likely to be non permanent as Thailand continues to be engaged on a full-fledged hashish invoice to control the broader makes use of, gross sales, exports and manufacturing of the plant. The draft invoice was unveiled in September however hasn’t been permitted by the cupboard or reached parliament for deliberation. 

“The cannabis bill will go on its own track, but it can’t be rushed. We’re looking at two more years before it’s ready,” Somsak advised reporters. “If people are still unhappy, we’ll re-criminalize it.” 

READ: Thailand Unveils Bill to Regulate Cannabis And Keep It Legal 

The public and trade stakeholders have till June 5 to submit suggestions on the proposed ministry regulation, which can then be submitted to the cupboard for approval. 

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