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Asia Pacific

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Wednesday, May 8, 2024
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Asia Pacific|Thailand Prime Minister Seeks to Criminalize Weed in Reversal

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THAILAND PRIME MINISTER SEEKS TO CRIMINALIZE WEED IN REVERSAL

Thailand had decriminalized marijuana in 2022, but the country’s new government
is pushing for stricter drug laws.

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Listen to this article · 2:09 min Learn more
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The Dispensary by Taratera, a company in Bangkok. In 2022, Thailand became one
of the first countries in Asia to decriminalize marijuana. Credit...Lillian
Suwanrumpha/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

By Amanda Holpuch

May 8, 2024, 11:40 a.m. ET
Get it sent to your inbox.

Thailand’s prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, said on Wednesday that he wanted
cannabis to be re-listed as a narcotic by the end of the year, a reversal two
years after the country became one of the first in Asia to decriminalize
marijuana.

Mr. Srettha, who took office in August, wrote on social media that he wanted the
Ministry of Health to change the laws so that marijuana could only be used for
medical and health reasons.

All marijuana sales in Thailand are technically for medical purposes, but lax
regulations mean that many businesses openly sell dried marijuana flowers and
illegal imports. Smoking weed in public is also prohibited.

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Amanda Holpuch covers breaking news and other topics. More about Amanda Holpuch

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