Thailand Elections: As Youth-Led Party Takes Lead, No Doubt Where Health Minister Stands On Cannabis

Thailand's health minister, cannabis advocate and candidate for Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul made no attempt to conceal where he stands on marijuana when he voted in Sunday’s elections.

Charnvirakul, PM candidate for the Bhumjaithai Party, showed up at his polling station wearing a dark shirt with bright green marijuana leaves. The party campaigned on, among other issues, the promise to promote medical marijuana after successfully pushing to decriminalize cannabis in June 2022, making it the first country in Southeast Asia to do so and third in the world after Canada and Uruguay.

Since then, the Thai government - mostly under Charnvirakul's health ministry - has issued a series of ad hoc regulations in an attempt to create a framework for the sector. 

Despite the often chaotic patchwork of rules, weed sales and consumption have surged over the past year, irking many of the country’s conservatives while delighting those involved in the new industry and tourists who flock to Thailand anyhow. 

PM candidate Anutin Charnvirakul​​​​ voting,​ courtesy of Thairath on ​​​​​​Twitter

Charnvirakul promised that if elected, he would tighten regulations to curb the recreational use of weed and restrict its use to medical purposes only.

In addition to decriminalizing cannabis Health Minister Charnvirakul steered the country through the pandemic. Some analysts say that he could prove influential in any post-election dealmaking in a country that has been marked by corruption and an overly powerful military apparatus. Prayut Chan-o-cha, a retired army officer, has served as the Prime Minister since he seized power in a military coup in 2014.

Meanwhile, as government regulations are viewed as chaotic, English-language content and information provider High Thailand is anything but. The well-organized and authoritative site provides a map to locate the country's nearly 2,600 registered marijuana shops and dispensaries and information on all topics related to cannabis.

Photo: PM candidate Anutin Charnvirakul​​​​ voting,​ courtesy of Thairath on ​​​​​​Twitter