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       Thailand Prime Minister Seeks to Criminalize Weed in Reversal

       Thailand had decriminalized marijuana in 2022, but the country’s new government is pushing for stricter drug laws.

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       The Dispensary by Taratera, a company in Bangkok. In 2022, Thailand became one of the first countries in Asia to decriminalize marijuana. Credit...Lillian Suwanrumpha/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

       By Amanda Holpuch

       May 8, 2024, 11:40 a.m. ET

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       Thailand’s prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, said on Wednesday that he wanted cannabis to be re-listed as a narcotic by the end of the year, a reversal two years after the country became one of the first in Asia to decriminalize marijuana.

       Mr. Srettha, who took office in August, wrote on social media that he wanted the Ministry of Health to change the laws so that marijuana could only be used for medical and health reasons.

       All marijuana sales in Thailand are technically for medical purposes, but lax regulations mean that many businesses openly sell dried marijuana flowers and illegal imports. Smoking weed in public is also prohibited.

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       Amanda Holpuch covers breaking news and other topics. More about Amanda Holpuch

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