ALBAWABA - After the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) stated that portions of the plant would be reclassified as a narcotic, pro-cannabis activists in Thailand have been on a hunger strike for a week now, according to Bangkok Post, demanding that the government pay attention to their concerns.

Cannabis in Thailand was decriminalized in 2022 after being marketed as a potentially profitable sector for the tourism-heavy economy. However, the government reversed its decision early this year, with a fresh re-listing as a narcotic on the horizon to come by the start of 2025.

The board's deputy secretary-general, Mana Siriphitthayawat, said on Wednesday that the recriminalization of cannabis is likely to be considered before the end of this month. In the event that the proposal is accepted, the public health minister will take steps to have it published in the Royal Gazette, with an effective date of 1 January, 2025.

Last Wednesday, activists from Writing Thai Cannabis' Future said that they would embark on a hunger strike unless the government approves to holding hearings on the medicinal advantages of cannabis, initiating a sit-in protest outside Government House on Monday to protest the recriminalization of cannabis.

A spokesperson for the Bhumjathai Party commented that tens of billions of Baht have been invested into the Cannabis industry in the past two years following decriminalization, Bangkok Post reports, adding that The Bhumjaithai Party proposed a cannabis control bill and it should be better than this about-face which will affect investors’ confidence.”

On the other hand, deputy secretary-general of the ONCB, Mana Siriphitthayawat, stated that “after cannabis is relisted as a narcotic, it can be used for medical purposes only and the use must be approved. The ONCB will arrest those who use it for recreation,” adding that “Cannabis shops must meet criteria for licenses under a new ministerial regulation that permits only sales for medical purposes.”

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