Pheu Thai caves to Bhumjaithai pressure and halts cannabis recriminalisation. Parliament to decide as public support for police enforcement and closure of the industry is ignored. Anutin’s influence and power grow despite low popular support for him and his party in credible NIDA public opinion polls.
On Tuesday, the Pheu Thai Party, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, and Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsutin gave into more ratcheted-up political pressure from the resurgent Bhumjaithai Party led by Anutin Charnvirakul. In short, the process to recriminalise cannabis has been put on hold. Instead, the matter will be sent to parliament where previously a Bhumjaithai Party bill was defeated by Pheu Thai. The move is certainly good news for the thriving cannabis industry in Thailand. However, it flies in the face of public opinion, which strongly supports bringing the drug back under police oversight. It also raises questions over the powerful influence of the Bhumjaithai Party and its leader Deputy Prime Minister Anutin. Bhumjaithai currently only enjoys 2.2% popular support according to the latest NIDA opinion poll. Yet it influences 150 senators in the Blue Group, which on Tuesday, elected a former governor of Buriram as Senate President.
Reports on Tuesday suggested that Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has won yet another key political battle.
It is understood that the Minister of the Interior had a government-level meeting with the Prime Minister and key advisors over the cannabis issue.
At length, Mr. Anutin had recently become more strident in his opposition to the re-criminalisation process underway.
Prime Minister caves in, will legislate cannabis in parliament, halting rescheduling of Category 5 status
Significantly, this was ordered in May by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at another meeting with Mr. Anutin and the newly appointed Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsutin.
Nonetheless, after today’s meeting with the PM and Mr. Somsak, it was an altogether different story.
That meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Mr. Srettha’s top adviser Prommin Lertsuridej.
In short, the prime minister has caved in and retreated from his earlier resolution. It is yet another U-turn on cannabis.
At the meeting, it was agreed that the matter would be legislated for in parliament. Significantly, this means that cannabis or parts of the cannabis plant will not now be rescheduled as a Category 5 narcotic.
Majority of Thai public opposes cannabis decision, NIDA poll shows strong support for recriminalisation
In effect, the end of a process that would have undone the revolution unleashed by Mr. Anutin as Minister of Public Health in June 2022.
Certainly, this will be great news for the pro-cannabis lobby and up to 7,700 cannabis retail outlets across Thailand. Previously, they had argued that presently the industry is worth ฿28 billion.
However, it will be bad news for the majority of the Thai public who support the recriminalisation of the drug.
A recent National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll puts this figure at 75.65% with 60.38% feeling strongly on the matter.
Another blow to Pheu Thai’s credibility as cannabis policy reversal contradicts election commitment
At the same time, it is another blow to the political credibility of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the Pheu Thai Party. The party’s standing has fallen dramatically since the May 2023 General Election.
In other words, another failure to follow through on pre-election commitments.
Undoubtedly, the government’s lead party will spin this as an alternative but similarly effective response to public concern on the issue.
However, legislative control over the use of the drug will fall far short of banning it for recreational use.
Anutin previously mooted full legalisation as possible. Called for a changed attitude toward cannabis
After Tuesday’s meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin was upbeat.
In effect, it means that his party’s singular achievement in the previous government remains intact.
Indeed, legislation will be seen as completing the process and cementing the position of cannabis as a substance somewhat freely available in Thailand.
Anutin raises the stakes a notch as he expresses opposition to the PM’s policy outlawing cannabis by year’s end
Drugs to be an election issue as Anutin digs in insisting that attitudes must change on cannabis
Recreational cannabis use can be legalised under the current law being passed through parliament
Narcotics Suppression Bureau voted on Friday to reschedule Cannabis as an illicit drug by January 1st 2025
For instance, in 2022, Mr. Anutin in the proposed act to parliament suggested that some amendments in it could be used to fully legalise the recreational use of the drug at a later stage once the public became acclimated to the substance.
At that time, he argued that people’s attitudes in Thailand must change towards the drug.
Prime minister sets red lines, Cannabis legality to be decided in Parliamentary debate
“I would like to thank the prime minister for considering this issue and deciding to enact an act,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Afterwards, government sources emphasised that the Prime Minister gave his red lines in relation to the regulation of cannabis. His top advisor Mr. Prommin also insisted that whether cannabis would be made illegal or not still had to be decided.
“It will be a matter of law and debated in parliament where there is already a draft law,” Mr. Prommin explained to Reuters. “Whether it is a narcotic or not is up to parliament.”
Prime Minister’s Cannabis U-turn highlights weak leadership. Pheu Thai fails on a key pre-election promise
Nevertheless, this must be seen as a U-turn and highlights the weak position the government leader finds himself in.
Pheu Thai had promised that the drug would be completely recriminalised except for strictly controlled medical use.
Even as recently as April, in a France 24 interview, Prime Minister Srettha stated that the deregulation of cannabis in 2022 had been a damaging mistake.
Subsequently, his order, given in May, was seen as upholding at least one element of the party’s pre-election promises to the public.
Certainly, this was seen as critically important given its lacklustre performance in managing the economy.
In addition to this, the party’s level of support has plummeted since it broke its pact with the Move Forward Party to form the government last year.
Failed control efforts following 2022 deregulation led to unbridled Cannabis use and ineffective regulation
In 2022, the Pheu Thai Party as well as the Palang Pracharat Party, also presently in government, combined to oppose the legislation being pushed by the Bhumjaithai Party. Certainly, for now, it appears that that legislation is to be resurrected.
Previously it was thrown out as it failed to live up to the promises made at government level to properly control the recreational use of the drug.
Therefore, after June 2022, an unbridled cannabis revolution continued unabated. Indeed, the police were told by the government at the time to stand down.
Subsequently, efforts to control the proliferation of cannabis under minor legislation proved ineffective. In short, if the drug is not prohibited, it cannot be controlled by police agencies.
Somsak Thepsutin initiated recriminalisation process. NSB voted for January 2025 rescheduling on July 5
Before this week’s development, Mr. Somsak Thepsutin had set the process in motion to re-criminalise the drug. This followed damning scientific evidence and reports from hundreds of medical practitioners nationwide.
On Friday, July 5th, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) voted to re-criminalise the drug.
This was to be sent to the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) with a date set for January 1st, 2025.
At the same time, medical use with a new permit system was proposed. In brief, to facilitate those using the drug for health purposes.
Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit speculated to ease cannabis tensions, climb down by Pheu Thai may hurt support
Tuesday’s decision comes following a visit by Pheu Thai de facto leader Thaksin Shinawatra and the actual leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra to Nakhon Ratchasima over the weekend.
There, they were entertained by the Bhumjaithai Party leader Mr. Anutin at the Rancho Charnvee Resort & Country Club, which he owns.
Of course, the media was assured that this was a personal outing. However, there is speculation that it was aimed at smoothing out rising tensions over the cannabis issue.
On the other hand, these may not go away too easily. Undoubtedly, this climb down by Pheu Thai will lose it further grassroots support.
It may even ferment discontent within the party ranks. Certainly, cannabis is a polarising political issue in Thailand.
Bhumjaithai Party grows in power. Mongkol Surasajja elected as President of the Senate and Speaker
In the meantime, the Bhumjaithai Party is growing in terms of political power.
The party, which only garnered 2.99% of the vote in the last General Election, managed to bag 71 seats. Presently, opinion polls show its support even lower at 2.2%. This is according to the most recent quarterly National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll in June.
Yet it has managed, unofficially, to bring in over 150 out of the 200 members of the new Senate.
This cohort of senators is referred to as the ‘Blue’ group because of their links with the Bhumjaithai Party.
In contrast, a smaller group of about 20 senators style themselves as the ‘New Breed’. Political analysts suggest strongly that these are political party groups in disguise.
On Tuesday also, those senators voted to elect 71-year-old Mongkol Surasajja as President of the Senate and Speaker.
Mr. Mongkol is a respected figure who played a role in the tumultuous events in Thailand of October 1973 and protests against the then-military dictatorship.
Notably, however, he is a former governor of Buriram, the capital of the Bhumjaithai Party. General Kriangkrai Srirak, a former 4th Army chief and advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Anutin was elected first deputy speaker.
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Further reading:
Cannabis slammed by top medical leaders and academics at Ministry of Public Health civil forum
Condemnation of previous pot policy from medical experts as Thailand’s pot shops are set to close
Potent pot to be criminalised as the minister looks at ways to suppress recreational cannabis use
Two deaths linked with cannabis use and violent incidents reported in recent days by Thai police
Go easy on the growing cannabis industry says Anutin who concedes that Pita will be the next PM
Thai Marijuana tycoons ponder mixed messaging from the Move Forward-led coalition on the drug
Crackdown on crime wave against Chinese tourists in Bangkok as concerns also raised on cannabis
