Bangkok: Phanthil Nuamjerm, a Member of Parliament from the People's Party, has urged the government to conduct a comprehensive review of Thailand's cannabis policy, citing significant regulatory gaps that facilitate illegal cannabis exports and tarnish Thailand's international reputation.
According to Thai News Agency, Phanthil's press conference, held today at the Parliament building, highlighted the discovery of extensive cannabis smuggling from Thailand to other nations. This issue, he stated, underscores deficiencies in the regulatory framework that are harming Thailand's image and credibility on the global stage. Despite the Prime Minister's clarification that exporting non-medical cannabis is illegal, the persistent smuggling problem suggests weaknesses in the regulatory controls intended to prevent such activities.
Phanthil pointed out that the original cannabis policy was designed to promote the plant as an economic and medical resource. However, it has inadvertently fostered widespread recreational use. The proliferation of cannabis flower retailers, coupled with ineffective regulatory enforcement, has led to increased smuggling activities, damaging the country's international standing. Countries where cannabis remains illegal are particularly concerned about the origin of seized cannabis, which affects trust in Thailand's regulatory measures and may lead to stricter inspections of goods and passengers from Thailand.
The press conference also raised concerns about the government's consideration of the policy's broader impacts, emphasizing the need for effective production and distribution control, traceability, and prevention of smuggling to protect vulnerable populations. The cannabis decriminalization, Phanthil noted, occurred prematurely, before adequate regulatory systems were established.
According to Customs Department data from October 2025 to May 2026, authorities intercepted nearly 3,000 cannabis smuggling cases, confiscating over 315,000 kilograms of cannabis valued at approximately 4.045 billion baht. This prompted the introduction of revised penalties, including fines of 30,000 baht per kilogram and confiscation of seized goods, effective from June 17, 2026.
Phanthil stressed that the issue stems from policy gaps that have created a gray market, allowing recreational cannabis use and smuggling, which burdens the Customs Department and drug enforcement agencies while harming the country's reputation. Despite supporting medical cannabis use under strict supervision, Phanthil opposes the recreational sale of cannabis flowers, which exploits legal loopholes.
He proposed four actions for the government: restricting cannabis flower use to medical purposes, improving transparency among licensed cannabis businesses, enhancing progress reporting on smuggling cases, and protecting legitimate patients and businesses. Phanthil emphasized the need for clarity from policymakers about the unintended consequences of promoting cannabis as an economic crop, urging the Prime Minister to address public concerns with a comprehensive explanation of the policy's impacts.