Thousands of Aussies who freely enjoyed cannabis while holidaying in a popular tourist hotspot are set to be disappointed as the drug is re-banned.
Thailand will officially ban the drug from being used for non-medicinal purposes by the end of this year, backtracking on its decision to allowed people to buy and sell marijuana for recreational purposes in 2022.
The stunning backflip by authorities will mean the substance will be placed back on the narcotics list.
Aussie visitors to Thailand will no longer be able to buy and use cannabis for recreational purposes with the drug set to be outlawed unless it is for a health reason (pictured, people buying Cannabis popsicles in Thailand)
Thailand’s Prime Minister Strettha Thavisin took to X on Wednesday to announce the major change.
‘I would like to ask the Ministry of Public Health to amend the ministry announcement by bringing marijuana back to being a category 5 drug… allowing its use for medical and health purposes only,’ he said.
‘Drugs are a problem that destroys the future of the nation. Youth are all stuck together. Everyone must hurry to work.’
Mr Thavisin said a 90-day target has been set for major narcotic agencies in the country to reduce illicit drug use across Thailand.
He said the goal is to completely eradicate the use of illicit substances.
The announcement from the prime minister comes as sales of marijuana began to grow rapidly across Thailand.
The new laws will mean shops and other retailers in the country (pictured) will no longer be able to sell the drug for recreational use
Thailand’s Prime Minister Strettha Thavisin (pictured centre), took to social media to announce the stunning backflip on the cannabis policy the government introduced just two years earlier
Thousands of shops and businesses began to sell the drug in the wake of the 2022 change, creating an industry that was set to be worth $1.25billion by 2025.
The revised rule will mean that around 800,000 Aussies who visit Thailand every year will no longer be able to buy and use marijuana recreationally while they are in the country.
Cannabis was decriminalised in 2018 across Thailand before changes were made four years later to permit recreational use.
Those who opposed the decision said the move was rushed through parliament and caused confusion about the rules on how the drug would be consumed.
The Thai government intends to pass a cannabis law by the end of 2024, with the aim of creating stronger regulations around the use of the drug.
Prasitchai Nunula, the secretary general of Thailand’s Cannabis Future Network, slammed the move to ban the sale of marijuana.
‘If scientific results show that cannabis is worse than alcohol and cigarettes then they can re-list it as a narcotic,’ he said.
‘If cannabis is less harmful, they should list cigarettes and alcohol as narcotics too.’
Around 800,000 Australians visit Thailand each year
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk