• Thailand moves to recriminalize cannabis, limiting sales to medical use only.
• New regulations require prescriptions for all cannabis purchases nationwide.
• The cannabis industry, valued at over $1 billion, faces uncertainty and closures.
• Reforms follow political turmoil with the Bhumjaithai Party leaving the ruling coalition.
• Public health concerns cited amid rising cannabis-related health issues.

Thailand's government is moving to recriminalize cannabis, aiming to regulate sales strictly for medical use, following a three-year period after it was initially decriminalized. Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin announced that all cannabis sales would require a prescription, and cannabis buds would be reclassified as controlled substances. This decision is expected to throw an industry worth over $1 billion into chaos as dispensaries struggle to comply with the new regulations, according to Bangkok Post and Channel News Asia.

The recent changes were prompted by significant concerns over public health, with officials citing that lax regulations have led to increased accessibility for minors and rising addiction rates. The Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board reported a spike in cannabis addiction post-decriminalization, exacerbating calls for stricter controls. Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub emphasized, "The policy must return to its original goal of controlling cannabis for medical use only," highlighting the need for stringent regulations due to worsening social problems among the youth, according to India Times and South China Morning Post.

The cannabis sector, which rapidly expanded following its 2022 decriminalization, now faces the risk of significant decline. Operators argue that the abrupt enforcement of the prescription requirement has thrown their businesses into disarray, with many expressing concerns about their financial viability and potential closures. "This is a fully-fledged industry... suddenly, the government steps in to shut it all down," lamented Thanatat Chotiwong, a cannabis shop owner, highlighting the tensions within the industry, as cited by Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

The political backdrop of these changes is characterized by the withdrawal of the Bhumjaithai Party from the governing coalition. This party had previously spearheaded cannabis liberalization, but discontent over various political issues led to its exit. Market analysts previously estimated that the cannabis industry could reach $1.2 billion in value by 2025, but the recent regulatory shifts jeopardize that outlook, as evidenced by ongoing political instability and public health discourses, reports Bangkok Post and Channel News Asia.

Advocates for the cannabis industry express apprehension over the potential rise of black market activities in response to stringent regulations. Mr. Rattapon, a dispensary owner, stated that “the reality is there are too few doctors” to meet the prescribed regulations, causing a strain on the market as legal avenues for cannabis access diminish, according to South China Morning Post and Bangkok Post.