Led by secretary-general Prasitchai Nunuan and chairwoman Chokwan Chopaka, the group met senior health officials, including deputy permanent secretary Dr Sakda Alapach, at the Public Health Ministry yesterday (Oct 8), reports the Bangkok Post.
They also submitted letters to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat, calling for the reversal of measures imposed under former minister Somsak Thepsutin of the Pheu Thai Party, which they said had destroyed the cannabis sector.
The network demanded revocation of the 2025 ministerial announcement classifying cannabis as a controlled herb and a reinstatement of the 2022 version enacted under Anutin’s tenure. That regulation allowed cannabis sales without medical prescriptions and through registered shops, instead of restricting transactions to licensed clinics, Mr Prasitchai said.
The group also urged the ministry to amend cultivation rules, arguing mandatory laboratory testing of cannabis buds was unnecessary for growers already certified under Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standards. Such overlapping requirements, Mr Prasitchai said, have placed heavy burdens on small-scale farmers and caused severe financial losses.
The group also pressed for the withdrawal of a draft regulation that would allow only medical clinics to sell cannabis - a move they said would reduce 10,000 licensed shops nationwide to just 100, creating an unfair monopoly. The network further called on the government to expedite submission of the long-delayed Cannabis Bill to parliament, emphasising that the draft was already ready for review.
“The ministry should abolish the current regulations within two weeks,” Mr Prasitchai said. “If not, we will take the matter directly to the prime minister who initiated the policy.”
Addressing public concerns about misuse, Mr Prasitchai said fears had been exaggerated and that the group supported regulations to prevent abuse while ensuring fair business opportunities.
Dr Sakda said the ministry had acknowledged all concerns and would assign the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine to conduct a participatory review within two weeks before submitting recommendations to the minister.