STORY: Thailand will ban the usage of leisure hashish by the tip of this yr.
That is based on the nation’s well being minister in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, minister Cholnan Srikaew mentioned use for medical functions would nonetheless be allowed.
Tens of hundreds of hashish retailers sprang up in Thailand after it grew to become the primary Southeast Asian nation to legalize its medicinal use in 2018 after which leisure use in 2022.
The trade is projected to be price $1.2 billion by subsequent yr.
Nonetheless, critics argue the foundations have been rushed out, having been adopted inside per week of decriminalization.
And now, the well being minister says the purpose is for a draft legislation to get to parliament by the tip of 2024.
“As a result of this legislation hasn’t handed but, anybody can go into a store and purchase hashish offered in these glass containers and declare they want it for medical functions. That is the loophole that we can’t management and due to this fact, we would have liked to draft this legislation to manage that sooner or later. Those that want it must have a medical prescription to show that it is for well being causes.”
Srikaew additionally went on to say that with out the legislation, hashish might be “misused” and that it “may result in different medicine.”
The proposed legislation units a high quality of as much as $1,700 for leisure use with most jail phrases of a yr, a high quality of as much as $2,800, or each for these promoting hashish or selling associated merchandise.
The minister informed Reuters that beneath the brand new legislation, permits might be required within the hashish commerce and that companies might be given time to adapt to the brand new rules,
with current retailers with the ability to proceed operations till their licenses expire and to change to authorized clinics in the event that they adjust to the foundations.