Asia: Market and legal data analysis of the cannabis sector

29th April 2024: Thailand: Yesterday (28th April), health minister Cholnan Srikaew was dismissed from the cabinet, press reports. Srikaew was a supporter of the recreational cannabis ban and wanted to pass a law soon to ensure that cannabis is only used for medical purposes. Srikaew will be replaced by Somsak Thepsuthin, who was justice minister when recreational cannabis was legalised in 2022.
18th April 2024: Israel: The Medical Cannabis Unit has updated Procedure 110, which sets out guidelines for the process of approving medical cannabis export licence applications. To get a licence, exporters are now required to obtain an “export permit” from the Customs Administration as well as an “export licence of dangerous drugs” from the Import-Export Department at the Medical Cannabis Unit by email to import-export.yakar@moh.gov.il.
5th April 2024: Thailand: Contrary to the stances recently expressed by the prime minister and health minister, deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a public statement that he supports the regulated use of cannabis. He voiced his agreement with the government’s existing policy, which allows the use of cannabis for recreational and medical purposes, press reports. Charnvirakul emphasised that rescheduling cannabis would require changes to the current regulations and would also require compensation for companies that have invested in the cannabis business in good faith.
5th April 2024: Armenia: The Ministry of Health is proposing bylaws to specify legal rules for the destruction of industrial hemp, media reports.
3rd April 2024: Thailand: Health minister Cholnan Srikaew has said the government will soon pass a law to ensure cannabis is used only for medical purposes, press reports. This was reportedly an attempt to correct prime minister Srettha Thavisin, who recently said that his government would put cannabis back on the list of narcotics. The health minister said the bill regulating the medical use of cannabis had been drafted and would soon be submitted to the cabinet for consideration.
4th March 2024: Pakistan: The president of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, has approved the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2024. The ordinance establishes the creation of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority, which will be in charge of issuing regulations under government guidance detailing how the cultivation, production and sale of hemp and medical cannabis can be carried out.
21st February 2024: Thailand: Health minister Cholnan Srikaew told the media that the government hopes to ban the recreational use of cannabis by the end of the year. He said that a draft bill to restrict the use of cannabis to only for medical purposes could be passed by the cabinet next month and then passed by the lower house by the end of October, when its legislative session ends.
14th February 2024: Thailand: Amid industry backlash, the draft bill to ban recreational cannabis use has been delayed to seek opinions from other parties, press reports. The bill was set to be introduced to the cabinet on Tuesday (13th February), but health minister Cholnan Srikaew said that it was not introduced as more time was needed. Many cannabis operators are reportedly threatening to sue if the bill is passed.
8th February 2024: Philippines: Two House of Representatives committees, the Committee on Dangerous Drugs and the Committee on Health, have jointly approved a bill that would allow cannabis for medical use, press reports. Under the measure, medical cannabis would only be prescribed by doctors to patients with specific medical conditions. Other details were not provided. The bill will undergo final corrections between the committees before being sent to the plenary.
7th February 2024: Thailand: Public health minister Cholnan Srikaew says that a new version of a bill to ban recreational use of cannabis will be presented to the cabinet next week, press reports. The bill reportedly would place the stems, roots, leaves, and flowers of the cannabis plant back onto the narcotics list and require a doctor's permit to smoke cannabis. The bill must be approved by the cabinet before it can be introduced into the parliament.
1st February 2024: South Korea: Yesterday (31st January) the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety decided to temporarily classify synthetic cannabinoids hexahydrocannabivarin (HHCV), hexahydrocannabutol (HHCB) and HHC-Octyl as narcotics. The classification lasts three years from the designation date (31st January 2024). In December 2023, the ministry also temporarily classified hexahydrocannabihexol (HHC-H) and, in April 2023, THC acetate (THC-O), HHC acetate (HHC-O) and delta-8 THC-O.

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