[For the regulatory developments in the USA, refer to Regulation: Cannabis – USA]
June 2025: Thailand moves to recriminalize cannabis
Thai Government moves to recriminalize cannabis which was taken off the country’s narcotics list in 2022. Thailand’s health ministry issued an order prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational use and making it mandatory for any retail purchase to require a doctor’s prescription. By restricting cannabis to medical use only, Government aims to eliminate unregulated access to cannabis which has created social problems, particularly among the youth. The new rules will come into effect once they are published in the Royal Gazette.
Three years ago, Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize the recreational use of cannabis, but without any comprehensive rules to govern the sector. Since then, tens of thousands of shops and businesses selling cannabis have sprung up across Thailand, many of them located in the country’s tourism hubs. Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates that the industry is worth $1.2 billion in 2025.
September 2024: Japan’s revised laws criminalizing cannabis use will take effect in December 2024
Japan will criminalize cannabis use and legalize medical products using substances derived from the plant under revised relevant laws, effective December 12, 2024. The possession and cultivation of cannabis are already banned in Japan; the revised law will also prohibit use, setting a prison sentence of up to seven years for violation. Cannabis use wasn’t thus far penalized in Japan, partly to protect farmers who may accidentally absorb its substances while growing it for use in hemp products.
Japan will also permit the use of cannabis-derived medical products. Drugs made from cannabis plants are only permitted in clinical trials at the present.
September 2024: Switzerland is a step closer to cannabis legalization
The Zurich city cannabis study, “Züri Can – Cannabis with responsibility”, is well underway with around 2,100 study participants. Initial results demonstrate that modern prevention approach based on a bold and innovative path in drug policy can work well with controlled access to cannabis products1.
In August 2023, the sale of cannabis products from the Zurich City pilot project “Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” started. Since then, study participants aged 18 and over have been able to legally purchase hash and flower products containing THC from approved sources, such as pharmacies, social clubs and the Drug Information Center of the City of Zurich. From March 2024, all 21 sales outlets became available to registered participants. The project will run until October 2026.
So far, the study findings are:
– More than half of the study participants consume cannabis at least four times a week. Although many participants consume regularly, the majority are in good health according to the survey data collected
– The employees at the sales outlets have built up a trusting relationship with the participants, which enables individually tailored advice and promotes the transfer of knowledge about lower-risk forms of consumption
– Encouragingly, 90% of the participants rate the sales staff at the outlets as competent. Many use the free advice from the sales staff and study doctors to rethink their cannabis consumption
– In the first 12 months, around 36,000 sales were made at the outlets, selling around 300 kg of cannabis products. 88% of participants are satisfied with the quality of the products on offer. However, some respondents expressed a desire for a larger selection and more variety. To meet this need, the introduction of four new flower products is planned for the second year of sales, meaning that there will be 13 cannabis products to choose from.
The upcoming surveys will focus on to what extent the participants’ knowledge and behavior regarding lower-risk consumption improves and how the health and social situation changes in the long term.
March 2024: Germany legalizes cannabis for limited recreational use
Germany’s lower house of parliament (“Bundestag”) voted (407 in favor, 226 against, 4 absentees) to legalize cannabis for limited recreational use2 in February 2024 – despite the resistance from Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the country’s largest opposition party. Germany’s upper house (“Bundesrat”), formed by the delegates from 16 state governments, approved the “partial legalization” Bill in March 2024.
According to the new rules, adults can possess small amounts of cannabis for personal use: from April 1, they can cultivate up to three plants for private consumption and be allowed to possess 50 grams at home and 25 grams in public. From July 1, cannabis will be available in licensed non-profit clubs (with no more than 500 members) for the consumption of club members. Recreational cannabis use will remain banned for minors (under 18s).
“The aim is to crack down on the black market and drugs-related crime, reduce the amount of dealing and cut the number of users”, Germany’s Health Minister stated ahead of the vote at the Bundestag. The move makes Germany the third country in Europe – after Malta and Luxembourg – to remove cannabis from the official list of banned substances and legalize it for recreational use .
January 2024: Thailand is set to ban recreational cannabis use
In a major policy reversal, Thailand’s new conservative coalition government is moving ahead to pass new legislation banning recreational use of cannabis after becoming the first Asian nation to decriminalize the plant in June 20223. Use of cannabis and cannabis-related products will be limited to medical purposes only.
The draft bill released by Thailand’s Ministry of Health outlines hefty fines and/or prison sentences of up to one year for offenders and the laws on cannabis will be rectified by the Government within the next six months. An earlier draft bill failed to win parliamentary approval in November 2023.
December 2023: Netherlands launches a pilot program to test the legalization of recreational cannabis
Two Dutch cities, Tilburg and Breda, allowed legal sales of cannabis as part of a four-year pilot program to test the idea of legalization of recreational cannabis use in the Netherlands4. Production will be limited to a few farms, whose produces will be quality controlled and measured (for the THC and CBD content) before being supplied to coffee shops. Independent researchers will monitor the trial with a view of eventual decriminalization. However, the far-right Party for Freedom, which won the general elections last month, is against the legalization and vows to scrap the tolerance policy in push for a “drug-free Netherlands”.
Despite the general misconception, recreational cannabis use is not legal in the Netherlands. Cannabis is consumed in the country based on a tolerance policy adopted by the Governments since the 1970s: individuals possessing up to five grams of cannabis don’t face criminal or administrative charges.
October 2023: UK lowers the recommended safe daily dose of cannabidiol (CBD)
UK food regulators lowered the recommended safe daily dose of cannabidiol (CBD; present in many different retail products, including drinks and snacks) from 70 milligrams a day to 10 milligrams of a day5 based on the concerns that long-term use might cause liver damage or thyroid issues.
At the 2021 Investor Day, when asked about the CBD products, Philip Morris International (PMI) CEO replied:
“…there are also some toxicological concerns because in those who are CBD, pure CBD has efficacy, means it binds with the cannabis receptors, then you start having issues with cytotoxicity and other problems. Now that’s embryonic first cut. And we also know from medical studies… you do have, because of usage, liver effects and other psychiatric effects. So all I’m saying is the product is not purely innocuous…”
September 2023: Thailand will clamp down on cannabis use
Thailand will clamp down on cannabis use in a major U-turn on drug policy6. Thailand’s new government is set to rectify its cannabis policy and limit its use to medical purposes within six months. Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis last year, leading to a boom of cannabis cafes and weed dispensaries in popular tourist destinations.
July 2023: Germany unveils the draft bill to legalize recreational cannabis use
Germany unveils the draft bill to legalize cannabis7: the long-waited draft bill is the first pillar of a comprehensive two-pillar model that will put an end to cannabis prohibition in Germany. However, it is a far cry from Germany’s initial ambitious plan to legalize cannabis by building up a commercial supply chain for recreational use – aiming massive tax revenues as a result. Following a lengthy consultation period, the cannabis bill is expected to go into effect on April 1, 2024.
References:
- https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/gud/de/index/departement/medien/medienmitteilungen/2024/09/ein-jahr-nach-dem-verkaufsstart-von-zueri-can-cannabis-mit-verantwortung-positive-zwischenbilanz.html ↩︎
- https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/23/europe/germany-cannabis-legal-parliament-intl/index.html ↩︎
- Thailand cannabis: Kingdom moves to ban recreational cannabis use, 18 months after historic decriminalization | CNN ↩︎
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/15/netherlands-begins-trial-to-make-cannabis-fully-legal ↩︎
- Cannabidiol safe daily dose limit cut by food regulator – BBC News ↩︎
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/22/thailand-to-clamp-down-on-cannabis-use-in-major-u-turn-on-drug-policy ↩︎
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2023/07/10/germany-unveils-draft-bill-to-legalize-cannabis ↩︎
