Thailand-
(The following is from The party listed at the end of the article and their opinions and statements are their own and not necessarily those of TPN Media)
Regarding the announcement by Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin, Minister of Public Health, setting a 45-day deadline to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic after the Bhumjaithai Party withdrew from the government, the actions of Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin raise questions about whether they are based on facts or are an opportunistic move to retaliate against the Bhumjaithai Party. This matter is of utmost importance because if the Minister of Public Health uses political victories to determine the status of the cannabis herb, it will deviate from the proper path.
Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin has previously made significant efforts to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic but was unsuccessful. After that, he took no further action on cannabis, despite claiming to the public that cannabis is highly dangerous. However, he did nothing to address the issue. Yet, as soon as the Bhumjaithai Party withdrew from the government, Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin reiterated his earlier claims, stating that cannabis is dangerous and that there have been numerous public complaints, with the sole aim of reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic once again.
Immediately after the Bhumjaithai Party resigned from the government, Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin took two actions: issuing a new ministerial announcement and launching a cannabis crackdown operation. Why were no such actions taken previously? In reality, cannabis use is currently so minimal that many shops are gradually closing. However, the Minister of Public Health is distorting the facts, amplifying information to achieve his ultimate goal of reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic.
Thus, cannabis is currently being manipulated by political games. When Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin uses politics to dictate policies and measures, it will lead to errors and benefit certain groups.
This can be seen in the latest ministerial announcement, recently signed by the Minister, which provides weaker protections than before while introducing conditions that promote monopolization by so-called experts, replacing the original safeguards. Specifically, the previous regulation prohibiting sales to individuals under 20 years old and students has been removed. The new measure stipulates that buyers must have a medical permit. This new measure has a significant flaw: if a student obtains a medical permit, they can purchase cannabis.
It is undeniable that medical permits can be bought. Upon examination, it becomes clear that while Mr. Somsak claims to address public grievances, he has introduced looser measures than before, transferring the authority to use this medicinal herb from the public to experts who are biased against cannabis. The Minister’s actions are an attempt to fabricate a narrative to suit his agenda.
The removal of the prohibition on selling cannabis to students and those under 20 years old demonstrates that Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin is not genuinely concerned about youth. Furthermore, delegating the authority to determine who can use cannabis to experts introduces a principle of monopolization through expertise, under the guise of public acceptance. However, Mr. Somsak’s true goal is to portray himself as a supporter of medical cannabis to gain public support, only to then implement his desired measure: reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic.
Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin favors narcotic laws because once cannabis is classified as a narcotic, specific measures can be issued to allow only certain individuals to cultivate, process, sell, and export cannabis. This is the starting point for monopolizing the cannabis industry, worth tens of billions annually. Mr. Somsak’s goal is not youth welfare, as he claims, but rather to monopolize the immense value of cannabis while seeking political revenge.
Today, Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin is distorting every fact to achieve his objectives.
The Thai Cannabis Future Network cannot allow a politician to use political tactics to distort the truth about cannabis and steer it toward monopolistic control under narcotic laws.
We demand that Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin cease these actions. The Thai Cannabis Future Network hereby declares two critical missions:
We demand amendments to the ministerial announcement signed on June 23, 2025, reinstating the original principle that everyone has the right to access cannabis under controlled measures.
This is because Minister Somsak Thepsuthin has introduced a new principle in the latest draft, requiring a permit issued by a select group to access cannabis. Such a system, reliant on permits from so-called experts, will lead to corruption and permits that do not reflect medical reality, failing to address the issue.
We demand that Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin abandon his fantasy of reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic. Instead, he should urgently advance the Cannabis Act draft, prepared by Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, the former Minister of Public Health from the same party, which has already undergone public hearings, and present it to the Cabinet. Mr. Somsak should have taken action on this long ago, but instead, he has perpetuated rhetoric while the government’s term is nearing its end, with the Cannabis Act still stalled. This clearly shows Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin’s true intentions regarding cannabis.
The Thai Cannabis Future Network invites everyone to gather at the Ministry of Public Health on July 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM to pursue these two missions. We have agreed to continue our actions until the government begins to advance the Cannabis Act and secures parliamentary approval.
Announced on June 25, 2025
Thai Cannabis Future Network
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
