Thailand was the primary nation in Asia to decriminalize hashish, however the experiment seems to have gone awry, because the Thai authorities this final week moved to backtrack the insurance policies, and impose new guidelines designed to rein within the weed ‘scene’.
As of final Thursday (26), clients now want a physician’s prescription to purchase pot — limiting consumption of the plant to medical functions solely.
CNN reported:
“Thailand’s public well being minister advised CNN on Wednesday he hopes to finally recriminalize hashish as a narcotic, in what can be a serious reversal from Thailand’s liberal strategy since declassification, which noticed a increase of dispensaries and weed cafes opening throughout the nation, notably in vacationer areas.
‘This have to be clearly understood: hashish is permitted for medical use solely’, Public Well being Minister Somsak Thepsutin advised CNN.”
Thailand’s Well being Ministry will now regulate hashish as ‘a managed herb’.
“Meaning licensed hashish outlets can now solely promote to clients with a medical prescription. They’re additionally required to maintain detailed gross sales data and face common inspections by authorities, Somsak mentioned. New guidelines additionally put stricter controls on growers and farmers, ban industrial promoting and prohibit hashish from being bought in merchandising machines or on-line.
Greater than 18,000 licensed hashish outlets throughout the nation should adapt or danger closing. Penalties for sellers caught violating the brand new guidelines embrace as much as one yr in jail or a nice of 20,000 baht ($620), although the well being ministry is proposing new laws that will considerably improve this.”
Thai authorities additionally banned promoting of hashish merchandise, altering the surroundings at vacationer hotspots in Bangkok.
“We need to inform vacationers they’re welcome to get pleasure from Thailand’s tradition and nature — however Thailand shouldn’t be seen as a vacation spot for leisure hashish use,” Somsak mentioned.”
After the legalization, the federal government had meant to ‘regulate the trade’, however when it failed to take action, leisure use grew to become rampant throughout the dominion, notably in areas widespread with foreigners.
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