A recent announcement categorising flowers or buds of the cannabis plant as "controlled herbs" is a temporary measure to slow recreational use while deliberation in parliament continues, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday.
The announcement, made last Friday by the Ministry of Public Health, is one of several legal measures to control the rapid increase of recreational use following the decriminalisation of cannabis in June.
The problem continues while Thailand awaits passage of an all-in-one law that will limit use to medicinal purposes, he said.
Mr Anutin was responding to concerns raised by Senator Somchai Sawangkarn over the increase in shops openly selling cannabis, especially in Bangkok's main tourist districts including Khao San Road and the Sukhumvit area.
The senator said on Tuesday he believes there is still enough time for the House of Representatives to finish its deliberation of the draft bill before the parliamentary session ends on Feb 28.
When the latest notice on controlling the herb is published in the Royal Gazette, the sale of cannabis flowers or buds will become illegal, except when they are sold by vendors specially permitted to supply these materials for medicinal purposes, Mr Anutin said on Wednesday.
While a violation of the latest measure may lead to a maximum fine of 20,000 baht and/or a maximum jail term of one year, some shops that deal in cannabis currently make 300,000 baht to 1 million baht each per day from selling to tourists, said Mr Somchai, citing findings from a survey he personally conducted on a number of such shops.
