Bangkok:
Thailand's government will urgently introduce a bill to ban the recreational use of cannabis, the health minister said on Tuesday, after the kingdom decriminalized the drug in 2022.
Cannabis was removed from the list of banned narcotics in June 2022 under the previous government, which also included the pro-legalization party Bhumjaithai.
The move saw hundreds of cannabis dispensaries spring up across the country, especially in Bangkok, raising concerns among critics who urged the need for stricter legislation.
On Tuesday, the kingdom's health minister said the new bill – which bans the recreational use of cannabis – will be submitted to the cabinet meeting next week.
“The new bill will be amended from the existing one to only allow the use of cannabis for health and medicinal purposes,” Chonlanan Srikaew told reporters.
“Using it for fun is considered wrong.”
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office last August, has repeatedly expressed opposition to the recreational use of the drug, saying it should only be allowed for medicinal use.
There was fresh public pressure last weekend after attendees of British rock band Coldplay's shows in Bangkok complained on social media that “the entire concert smelled of marijuana”.
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