Thailand’s new PM, Srettha Thavisin, has spoken out for the first time, expressing his feelings about last year’s delisting of cannabis as an illicit substance. The unilateral announcement was made by the Minister of Public Health on June 9.
The PM has made it clear that he opposes the idea of legalising recreational cannabis. But he said he supports the use of cannabis for medical purposes, which will remain the government’s policy during his time in office.
The confusion from last year’s delisting in Thailand, which has resulted in a flourish of retail outlets around the country, was the result of no proper legislation being in force at the time.
A Cannabis Act, which would have clarified the original intention was for “medicinal use only”, was voted on in the last parliament six time, only to fail each time, sometimes from the lack of a quorum.
Thailand has seen a booming cannabis industry, that could be valued around $1.2 billion in the coming years. What will happen to the countries thousands of street-front retail outlets is yet to be decided.
In an effort to boost the economy, PM Srettha recently announced several economic policies. One of his key initiatives is a plan to give 10,000 baht (about US$282.09) to every Thai citizen through a digital wallet. He believes this will significantly increase domestic spending and aid in the country’s recovery.
To implement this plan, the government will use the Krungthai Bank Pao Tang mobile application for the digital wallet project. This app will also incorporate blockchain technology for added security and efficiency.
