Thai Cannabis Industry Eyes Revival Under PM Who Backed Its Rise

Thailand’s cannabis industry is eyeing a new lease of life under new Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul — a politician who pioneered its decriminalization and early success.

Since Anutin decriminalized marijuana in 2022 as health minister, making Thailand the first Asian nation to do so, the industry has been whiplashed by a series of policy reversals. Regulation of widespread use has been difficult without a cannabis law in place, prompting authorities to consider classifying it as a narcotic once again.

With Anutin and his Bhumjaithai Party at the helm, thousands of dispensary owners, cannabis growers and other stakeholders now see that threat easing, according to advocacy group Writing Thailand’s Cannabis Future.

Anutin, a conservative with strong royalist ties, will lead a minority government after securing the prime minister position last week with backing from the pro-democracy People’s Party, parliament’s largest bloc. He has pledged to hold new elections within four months and launch steps to rewrite the constitution.

“The idea of reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic is unlikely to happen once Bhumjaithai leads the government,” said Prasitchai Nunual, secretary-general of Writing Thailand’s Cannabis Future. “Since it became clear Anutin will be prime minister, officials have been friendlier, speaking more positively. That’s a visible change.”

The cannabis industry’s rapid growth was first threatened by a government headed by the populist Pheu Thai Party in the wake of a general election in 2023. Then-Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin threatened to reclassify it as a narcotic, to follow through on a pre-election promise, before backtracking. That was followed by moves this year under former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was ousted last month, to ban recreational use and restrict consumption to medical purposes with a doctor’s prescription.

In contrast, Anutin’s Bhumjaithai has pushed for a middle ground — keeping cannabis decriminalized while tightening regulations to curb recreational use. Anutin, dubbed the “cannabis king” and “cannabis champion” by local and foreign media, even wore a cannabis-print shirt when meeting prospective cabinet candidates on Saturday, a day after his election as premier.

In the months before Anutin’s rise to power, the Pheu Thai-led government stepped up a crackdown on the cannabis industry by inspecting thousands of shops, shutting hundreds of them and suspending licenses. Authorities have also ramped up surveillance measures to prevent smuggling following reports of a surge in illegal shipments to the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and several other destinations.

With the change of government, the industry expects officials to ease up on the crackdown.

“There may now be less intensity in shutting down shops or putting on acts for political gains,” said Rattapon Sanrak, owner of Highland Cafe, a dispensary in Bangkok’s backpacker-heavy Khaosan district, and who’s a longtime cannabis-industry advocate. “The change will likely be more about the enforcement climate than the law itself.”

The unpredictable policy environment has made it harder for even legal businesses to stay afloat, Rattapon said. The rising costs of improving agricultural practices in marijuana cultivation and the medical prescription requirement have already driven a large number of players underground, he added.   

As Anutin’s government may be in power for only a few months, it is unrealistic to expect a major policy overhaul and the passage of the planned cannabis bill, Writing Thailand’s Cannabis Future’s Prasitchai said.

“It’s worrying, because if another party with a different policy wins the next election, the cannabis industry will be in turmoil again,” Prasitchai said. “That’s why our network is determined to push for the cannabis bill to be passed immediately after a new government takes office after the next election.”