Attempts to restrict cannabis-themed retail outlets have so far failed. The Thai public health minister’s order to require pot buyers to have a medical certificate prior to purchase has been attacked as both unnecessary and unlikely to succeed. However, minister Somsak Thepsuthin did not give a date for the introduction of the new regulation which he claimed was necessary because of abuses and criminality via legal loopholes. A warning or phase-in period is likely according to his deputy. But Gloria Lai, regional director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, said the move was a panic reaction created by recently publicized cases of foreigners illegally exporting cannabis and getting caught here or at overseas airports. She also explained that there were about 10,000 retail outlets nationwide and that 90 percent would likely close. “Some foreigners might cooperate with the required doctor’s note, but Thais will simply go back to growing their own.” Prasit Nunual, secretary general of Thailand’s Cannabis Future Network, said many outlets had already closed in a saturated market and the number of smokers had decreased. It was also unclear that requiring a doctor’s prescription would work in practice. “It might be no different from the required letter for a driving licence, causing inconvenience rather than a commentary on an individual’s health,” said a network member. The health minister’s announcement does not require further approval. But some commentators believe that the weakness of the current Pheu Thai government – its majority in the House of Representatives is tiny since the withdrawal of its largest coalition partner Bhumjaithai – could lead delays and confusion. Cannabis is currently a “controlled herb” whose status is ambiguous which often leads to local police saying the enforcement responsibility is the food and drugs administration which has few inspectors. Thailand removed cannabis from the narcotics list in 2022, largely on promises that farmers would experience an economic salvation and that the overcrowded jails would have fewer inmates. In reality, the market quickly became saturated and prices in retail outlets plummeted to as low as US$ per gram. However, cannabis-enhanced therapies in wellness and spa centers have boomed. Khun Tao, who owns several cannabis cafes in Pattaya, said, “We just muddle through all the rules and nothing on the horizon is going to change that.”