Buying cannabis in Thailand may get harder

The days of easily buying marijuana in Thailand may soon be over.

Four years after the Bhumjaithai Party won almost four million votes on a vow to decriminalise cannabis, most of the parties in Sunday’s general election want to limit the use of cannabis to medical purposes.

“I don’t want my children to grow up in a country where drugs are easy to find and cannabis is liberalised,” said Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party, at a recent rally.

Since decriminalisation took effect about a year ago, cannabis has become a hot issue dividing political parties as well as the nation’s 52.3 million voters. Those opposed to the policy often cite growing concerns over the negative societal impact of the drug.

Now there are an estimated 4,500 dispensaries that distribute it in every province, the cannabis industry was expected to be worth US$1 billion by 2025, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Now everyone is waiting to see how the weekend vote turns out.

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