Thailand has signalled a sharp policy reversal on adult-use cannabis, with the government committing to regulate the industry rather than restore criminal penalties for its use.
The change in direction comes after the incoming government had previously indicated it would wind back the permissive approach adopted under its predecessor and confine cannabis to medical applications only.
The announcement was made by deputy prime minister and minister of interior Anutin Charnvirakul, the same figure who championed the original decriminalisation push in 2022.
Charnvirakul leads the Bhumjaithai Party, which is the second-largest party within Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's coalition government.
The precise shape of any future regulatory framework has yet to be disclosed, but the news is expected to bring considerable relief to the thousands of cultivators, dispensary operators, and consumers across Thailand who had feared they would once again face criminal liability.
The ruling Pheu Thai Party had maintained a hardline position on drugs, pointing to community concerns over the proliferation of cannabis dispensaries and recreational consumption among young people.
Thailand's nascent cannabis sector was valued at 28 billion Thai baht (A$1.16 billion) within the first year following the 2022 policy changes, with forecasts ahead of the prime minister's announcement projecting growth to 336 billion baht ($13.86 billion) by 2030.
