CNN
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Three years since Thailand turned the primary nation in Asia to decriminalize hashish, the federal government this week imposed new guidelines designed to rein within the nation’s “green rush.”
As of Thursday, clients want a physician’s prescription to purchase hashish — successfully limiting consumption of the plant to medical and well being functions solely.
Thailand’s public well being minister informed CNN on Wednesday he hopes to ultimately recriminalize hashish as a narcotic, in what could be a serious reversal from Thailand’s liberal method since declassification, which noticed a growth of dispensaries and weed cafes opening throughout the nation, significantly in vacationer areas.
“This should be clearly understood: hashish is permitted for medical use solely,” Public Well being Minister Somsak Thepsutin informed CNN.
Medical certificates and a ban on promoting
The brand new guidelines from Thailand’s Well being Ministry intention to implement the regulation of hashish as a managed herb.
Meaning licensed hashish outlets can now solely promote to clients with a medical prescription. They’re additionally required to maintain detailed gross sales information and face common inspections by authorities, Somsak stated. New guidelines additionally put stricter controls on growers and farmers, ban industrial promoting and prohibit hashish from being offered in merchandising machines or on-line.
Greater than 18,000 licensed hashish outlets throughout the nation should adapt or threat closing. Penalties for sellers caught violating the brand new guidelines embody as much as one 12 months in jail or a wonderful of 20,000 baht ($620), although the well being ministry is proposing new laws that will considerably enhance this.

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