BANGKOK: Thailand's ruling and opposition parties clash over cannabis, with elections just months away. Currently, there is a political divide on the issue of whether or not to ban the legal use of cannabis in the country. The recent increase in the sale and consumption of cannabis products has led Thailand to its current situation.

Thailand was the first country in Southeast Asia to ban the use of cannabis. Cannabis has been legalized in Thailand since 2018 for medicinal use. It was after this that new cannabis policies were implemented in the country. Under the law, which came into effect on June 9, 2022, people were also allowed to grow cannabis at home. The authorities aimed to grow cannabis as a "house crop". The Thai government has also announced that cannabis and hemp will be removed from the drug list.

After this, many cannabis sales centers started functioning including in tourism centers of the country. The opposition party members alleged that the growing use of cannabis is endangering the young generation and is a threat to the youth. Although a bill to re-prohibit cannabis was introduced in Parliament, it was not passed. After this, in view of the elections, the opposition party Pheu Thai came forward with the demand to limit the use of cannabis only for medical purposes.