Small business owners and employees in cannabis shops have raised concerns about the abrupt regulatory changes on the use of cannabis and their economic impact.
An announcement by the Ministry of Public Health last week tightening regulations on cannabis flower buds has shaken the industry.
Signed by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin on June 23, the policy restricts cannabis sales and imposes licensing requirements aimed at making cannabis for medical use only.
People wanting to buy cannabis will in future have to present a doctor's prescription and a medical certificate, Mr Somsak said. The regulation took effect on Thursday. Mr Somsak confirmed that cannabis will be reclassified as a narcotic in the near future.
Some regulatory issues stemming from cannabis changes in the past were still unresolved, such as the classification of cannabis as a controlled herb under the Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Protection Act.
This allowed cannabis shops to open and the cultivation of the plant as previous curbs were loosened. However, the rules lacked provisions for medical use, the minister said.
Impact 'immense'
The Bangkok Post talked to weed shop owners and staff to hear their concerns and how they will get into the swing of things.
At Apollo Cannabis 1988, Bangkok, owner Pan, 37, felt the immediate effects.
"The impact is immense," Mr Pan said. "Today, I had to close my shop for half a day just to secure a 'patient card'."
He runs a small cannabis farm supplying his own store, but under the regulations, his farm-grown cannabis no longer qualifies for sale without a Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) certificate.
"We can't sell our homegrown product any more," Mr Pan said. "We now have to buy cannabis from government-certified suppliers. Previously, one gramme cost around 40 baht wholesale. Overnight, prices jumped dramatically to 120 baht per gramme."
This sharp increase in production costs threatens Mr Pan's business sustainability, despite his proactive approach. "The added cost is burdensome, no doubt, but the evolving legal framework still presents opportunities for manoeuvring," he added.
Prior to 2022, cannabis was a restricted Category 5 narcotic in Thailand, with limited medical use.
However, the government's decision to decriminalise cannabis in September that year sparked a rapid surge in cannabis-related businesses, from cafes to dispensaries.
This boom transformed local economies and consumer culture, although the government, under its present guise, has decided to pull back on those changes.
Reports say shops selling cannabis will have to turn into dispensaries, complete with trained medical staff.
At B Good @21Market, Bangkok, employee Bank, 28, described how quickly businesses are having to adjust.
Despite having been employed for only two months, he already sees challenges ahead.
"We have to adapt swiftly, it's competition," Bank said, noting the requirement to secure medical prescriptions for cannabis sales.
Bank expressed concern about the implications of mandatory medical oversight, which involves hiring licensed professionals from seven specified fields: general medicine, Thai traditional medicine, applied Thai traditional medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, and traditional local healers.
"The government announcement was sudden," he added.
When asked whether the shop plans to hire any professionals, he replied, "We have already started the process. We have to comply with the regulations."
Doubts over effectiveness
While some shop owners are adjusting to the changes, not everyone is convinced they will work.
Another employee, Ham, 23, at Friendly Cannabis, Bangkok, was sceptical about the quality assurances touted by the new GACP certification requirements. Having worked nearly two years in the industry, Ham aired doubts about the standards of GACP-certified cannabis.
"From my experience, GACP doesn't always guarantee cleanliness or superior quality," he said. "Chemical contamination can still occur."
Ham shared a troubling consequence of tightened regulations: Friendly Cannabis's previous branch in Bang Kruai, Nonthaburi, was forced to close when the owners stopped leasing or renting spaces for cannabis businesses amid regulatory uncertainty.
Ham highlighted another unintended consequence: mandatory patient registration cards. "We might have to become 'patients' ourselves to comply," Ham said.
This bureaucratic step, he suggested, seems disconnected from practical cannabis use and adds another barrier to operations.
Mr Pan, at Apollo Cannabis, said mandatory patient cards also complicate transactions with tourists. "Tourists must also get these cards, valid for one year," he said. "This increases their cost and effort."
Despite the chaos, Mr Pan acknowledged one silver lining. "The regulations will eliminate substandard operations," he said. Still, the uncertainty lingers heavily, affecting small businesses' ability to plan long-term strategies.
Owners and employees alike conveyed frustration about the government's flip-flop policy changes, which have destabilised a previously booming sector. With limited support to navigate the regulations, which were introduced abruptly, cannabis businesses face a challenging future, balancing compliance and financial viability.
