On the one-year anniversary of Thailand’s decriminalization of cannabis, uncertainty looms over the industry despite the opening of over 5,000 dispensaries throughout the country. Thailand became the first Asian country to take this step, but the failure to pass a Cannabis Act to regulate the industry has led to a plethora of street stalls and underground businesses operating in a legal vacuum alongside legal high-end cannabis lounges and curated shops. The market has also been flooded with illegal imports, mainly from the US, causing prices to plunge and threatening growers’ livelihoods. The recent election has added to the uncertainty, with the Move Forward Party, which won a stunning victory, proposing to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic, a move that alarmed industry insiders. The proposal has alienated some of their supporters, and observers believe it is a concession made to conservative factions in a bid to form a government with Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister. However, the Minister of Health, who leads the third-largest vote-getter, the Bhumjaithai Party, remains the industry’s biggest political cheerleader and continues to push ahead with his signature policy. Despite the confusion surrounding the industry, advocates marked the anniversary with rallies against relisting cannabis as a narcotic and meetings with Move Forward Party officials to discuss policy options going forward.
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