Thailand is further tightening controls on cannabis by banning the sale of the plant to people without a doctor's prescription, reports Euronews.

In 2022. Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis, a move that has boosted the country's tourism and agriculture industries and led to the establishment of thousands of shops.

But the country has faced a public backlash over claims that insufficient regulation has made the drug accessible to children and sparked addiction.

This week, Health Minister Somsak Tepsutin signed an order banning shops from selling cannabis to customers without a doctor's prescription. The order also aims to reclassify cannabis buds as a controlled herb.

Fanurat Lukboon, secretary-general of the Office of Drug Control, said his agency is ready to study and implement the change in the regulations.

The order did not detail any punishment for the violation. It will come into force when it is published in the Royal Gazette, although it was not clear when that would happen.

The ruling Pheu Thai party had earlier promised to re-criminalise the drug, but faced strong opposition from its former partner in the coalition government, the Bhumjaytai party, which supports decriminalisation.

Somsak said she would like to see cannabis relisted as a narcotic in the future. The move was taken after officials revealed last month that cases of cannabis smuggling involving tourists had risen sharply in recent months.

Fanurat said a survey conducted by his agency last year found that the number of people addicted to cannabis had risen significantly since its decriminalisation.

A cannabis advocacy group said the change in regulations was politically motivated. The group said it would rally outside the Department of Health next month to oppose the change and the attempt to criminalise the consumption or sale of cannabis again. | BGNES