3 years after decriminalization, Thailand bans cannabis sales without prescription
Thailand is further tightening control of cannabis by banning sales of the plant to those without prescriptions. Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis in 2022, in a move that boosted Thailand's tourism and farming, and spawned thousands of shops. But the country has faced public backlash over allegations that under-regulation has made the drug available to children and caused addiction.
Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin signed an order Monday that bans shops from selling cannabis to customers without a prescription. It also seeks to reclassify cannabis buds as a controlled herb. Phanurat Lukboon, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, said Wednesday that his agency is ready to study and implement the change in regulations. The order will take effect when it is published in the Royal Gazette, although it was unclear when that would happen.
The ruling Pheu Thai Party previously promised to criminalize the drug again, but faced strong resistance from its former partner in the coalition government, the Bhumjaithai Party, which supported the decriminalization. Bhumjaithai quit the coalition last week over a leaked phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
Somsak told reporters Tuesday that he would like to relist cannabis as a narcotic in the future. The move came after officials last month revealed that cannabis smuggling cases involving tourists had soared in recent months.
Phanurat said that a study done by his agency last year found the number of people addicted to cannabis had spiked significantly after it was decriminalized.
Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsab said in a statement Tuesday that the government ordered the Health Ministry to tighten control on sales of cannabis because 'many shops opened to sell cannabis both for recreational and medical purposes, allowing easy access for children and general people, which contradicts the government's purpose to crack down on drugs.'
A group of cannabis advocates said Wednesday that the change in regulations was politically motivated. The group said they will rally at the Health Ministry next month to oppose the change and the attempt to make it a criminal offense again to consume or sell cannabis.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
National Doctor's Day 2025: Theme, history, importance & why India celebrates its healers on July 1
India marks National Doctor's Day on July 1 every year to recognise the tireless service, dedication, and compassion of the country's medical professionals. The day honours the vital role doctors play in healing, protecting, and supporting communities—often at great personal cost. In 2025, the day carries even more emotional weight with its theme: 'Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?'—a reflection on the mental and emotional challenges faced by healthcare workers. The theme calls on society to recognise not just the doctors' efforts but also their humanity and need for support. 'Every day, doctors prioritise the lives of others, often neglecting their own well-being. This year's theme is a reminder to care for those who care for us,' said a senior official from the Health Ministry. Why is Doctor's Day celebrated on July 1? Doctor's Day in India was instituted in 1991 by the Government of India in honour of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy , one of the country's most respected physicians and a visionary in public healthcare. Dr. Roy was also the second Chief Minister of West Bengal and a recipient of the Bharat Ratna. Live Events Born on July 1, 1882, and passing away on the same date in 1962, Dr. Roy's legacy includes the founding of key medical institutions like the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Medical Council of India (MCI). His life's work has inspired generations of doctors and continues to shape India's healthcare system. Celebrating the spirit of healing National Doctor's Day serves as a public acknowledgement of the role medical professionals play—not only during pandemics or crises but every day, across villages, towns, and cities. From general practitioners to specialists and surgeons, the day honours all those who have taken the oath to heal and serve. Various hospitals, medical institutions, and civil society organisations across the country are holding felicitation ceremonies, awareness drives, and public campaigns to appreciate the contributions of doctors. Patients and communities are also taking to social media to share stories of gratitude and hope. As India continues to face new public health challenges, National Doctor's Day 2025 is both a celebration and a call to action—to build a system where doctors are not just revered as caregivers but also protected, respected, and cared for in return.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump calls for Gaza ceasefire deal as some Palestinians are skeptical
US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged progress in ceasefire talks in the 20-month war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, though some weary Palestinians were skeptical about the chances. Israel issued a new mass evacuation order for parts of northern Gaza. Displaced Palestinians flee Jabalia after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders in Gaza City on June 29, 2025. (AP) Ron Dermer, a top adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was set to travel to Washington this week for talks on a ceasefire, an Israeli official said, and plans were being made for Netanyahu to travel there in the coming weeks, a sign there may be movement on a deal. Netanyahu was meeting with his security Cabinet on Sunday evening, the official said on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that hadn't been finalized. 'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!' Trump wrote on social media early Sunday. Trump raised expectations Friday by saying there could be an agreement within the next week. Some Palestinians doubtful of latest efforts An eight-week ceasefire was reached as Trump took office earlier this year, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps. 'Since the beginning of the war, they have been promising us something like this: Release the hostages and we will stop the war,' said one Palestinian, Abdel Hadi Al-Hour. 'They did not stop the war." Israeli attacks continued. An airstrike Sunday evening hit a house sheltering displaced people in the Jabaliya al-Nazla area, killing at least 15, according to Fares Awad, head of the Gaza's Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency services in the territory's north. He said women and children made up over half the dead. Israel's military did not comment on the strike, but the area fell under the latest evacuation order. During a visit to Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, Netanyahu said that the Israel-Iran war and ceasefire have opened many opportunities: 'First of all, to rescue the hostages. Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both tasks.' Major sticking point for any deal But talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over a major sticking point — whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi accused Netanyahu of stalling progress on a deal, saying on social media that the Israeli leader insists on a temporary agreement that would free just 10 of the hostages. About 50 hostages remain, with less than half believed to be alive. Netanyahu spokesperson Omer Dostri said that 'Hamas was the only obstacle to ending the war,' without addressing Merdawi's claim. Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war in Gaza. Israel rejects that offer, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something that the group refuses. The war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostage. Gaza's Health Ministry said that another 88 people had been killed by Israeli fire over the past 24 hours, raising the war's toll among Palestinians to 56,500. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas government, doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, but says more than half of the dead are women and children. The war has displaced most of Gaza's population, often multiple times, obliterated much of the urban landscape and left people overwhelmingly reliant on outside aid, which Israel has limited since the end of the latest ceasefire. Fewer than half of Gaza's hospitals are even partly functional, and more than 4,000 children need medical evacuation abroad, a new U.N. humanitarian assessment says. 'We are exhausted, we are tired. We hope to God that the war will end," said one Palestinian, Mahmoud Wadi. Military moves toward center of Gaza City Israel's military ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians in large swaths of northern Gaza, home to hundreds of thousands who had returned during the ceasefire earlier this year. The order includes multiple neighborhoods in eastern and northern Gaza City, as well as the Jabaliya refugee camp. Palestinians in Gaza City began loading children, bedding and other essentials onto donkey carts, uprooted once more. The military will expand its attacks westward to the city's center, with calls for people to move toward the Muwasi area in southern Gaza, Col. Avichay Adraee, a military spokesperson, said on social media. The offensive aims to move Palestinians to southern Gaza, so forces can more freely operate against militants. Rights groups say it would amount to forcible displacement. Trump slams Netanyahu trial Trump also doubled down on his criticism of the legal proceedings against Netanyahu, who is on trial for alleged corruption, calling it 'a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT.' In the post Saturday evening, Trump said the trial interfered with ceasefire talks, saying Netanyahu 'is right now in the process of negotiating a Deal with Hamas, which will include getting the Hostages back.' Last week, Trump called for the trial to be canceled. It was a dramatic interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state. It unnerved many in Israel, despite Trump's popularity there. The trial has repeatedly been postponed at Netanyahu's request, citing security and diplomatic developments. On Sunday, the court agreed to call off two more days of testimony by him scheduled this week.
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Iran Says 71 Dead in Israeli Strike on Tehran Prison This Month
An Israeli strike this month on Tehran's Evin prison killed 71 people, Iran's judiciary said, in one of the deadliest single Israeli attacks on Iranian soil. The June 23 strike killed inmates, prison staff, conscripted soldiers, and visiting family members, the official Mizan news agency reported Sunday, citing Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir. Jahangir said civilians living near the prison were also among the dead, with several others injured. He didn't provide a breakdown of casualties and the judiciary hasn't publicly released a list of victims. Evin prison, located in northwestern Tehran's populated urban core, is known for detaining political prisoners, dissidents and journalists, along with those convicted of criminal offenses. The attack took place hours before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire that went into effect on Tuesday, ending the deadliest and most intense confrontation yet between Israel and Iran that pushed the region to the brink of wider conflict. During this period, senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed, Israeli forces targeted key military and nuclear sites and the US struck three major Iranian nuclear facilities. Both sides have threatened severe action in response to any new escalation, though the ceasefire appears to be holding so far. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Evin Prison was among the targets in the June 23 strikes that also included the internal security headquarters of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Sunday's announcement comes as Iran holds weekend funeral processions for dozens of senior military and nuclear officials killed in Israeli strikes. The attacks have so far left 627 dead, including many civilians, according to Iran's Health Ministry. The attack marked another deadly chapter in Evin's recent history. In October 2022, eight people died in a fire that broke out at the prison amid nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran's Islamic dress code. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
