• There is a division among lawmakers, with some arguing the bill wouldn't prohibit recreational cannabis use, and others demanding the plant be reinstated as a narcotic
  • As PM Prayuth Chan-ocha plans to dissolve parliament next month before May's elections, the fate of the bill depends on the next government.

As lawmakers remain divided over key provisions of the legislation, Thailand's fast-growing cannabis industry is left in limbo, with little time left to pass a bill regulating broader cannabis use.

After failing to complete the second reading of the controversial legislation on Wednesday, the House of Representatives will go into recess next week.

Legislators argued that the bill lacked teeth to prevent recreational use of cannabis and demanded it be listed again as a narcotic.

The fate of the bill will depend on the next government since PM Prayuth Chan-ocha plans to dissolve parliament next month before May's polls. Normally, a bill must be passed by a majority at three readings before it can be approved by the Senate.

When Thailand delisted cannabis as a narcotic last year, it became the first country in Asia to decriminalise it, but since then, the plant has been used for recreational purposes and dispensaries have mushroomed, selling everything from biscuits to cosmetics.

Legalization has also raised concerns about its impact on youths, which threatens to hinder an industry estimated to be worth over $1 billion by 2025.

Anutin Charnvirakul's Bhumjaithai Party, which spearheaded the plant's widespread use and cultivation by households, is seen as one of the major beneficiaries of the cannabis liberalisation in Thailand.

Decriminalization is opposed by many opposition parties and the Democrat Party, a member of the ruling coalition.

It's clear the bill won't pass this session. We will resubmit it in the next parliament", said Supachai Jaisamut, a lawmaker from the Bhumjaithai Party.

In June, the government decriminalized marijuana for medical and commercial purposes rather than recreational purposes, though the draft bill did not explicitly ban recreational smoking.

For now, Supachai said, the health ministry's regulations on cannabis are adequate to keep the industry in check. The regulations include restrictions on selling to pregnant women and people under 20.