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Thailand to ban recreational cannabis use by year-end, health minister says

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Thailand will ban recreational use of marijuana by the end of this year but continue to allow its use for medical purposes, the health minister told Reuters in an interview.

After Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to free up medicinal use in 2018, and then recreational use in 2022, tens of thousands of cannabis shops have sprung up in an industry projected to be worth up to $1.2 billion by next year.

Critics say piecemeal rules were rushed out and adopted within a week of decriminalisation, and the government has drafted a new law to regulate cannabis use that is expected to take effect by year-end, read the report.

The draft bill will go to cabinet for approval next month before heading to parliament to be passed before the end of the year, Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said.
“Without the law to regulate cannabis it will be misused,” Cholnan said on Wednesday, referring to recreational use.

“The misuse of cannabis has a negative impact on Thai children,” he added. “In the long run it could lead to other drugs.”

The previous government had failed to push legislation through parliament before the general election of last May, leaving Thailand without an umbrella law to regulate its use.

Cannabis shops that operate illegally will not be allow to continue, while home-grown cannabis will also be discouraged, added Cholnan, who put the number of legally registered shops at 20,000.

“In the new law, cannabis will be a controlled plant, so growing it would require permission,” he said. “We will support (cannabis cultivation) for the medical and health industry.”

The draft law specifies a fine of up to 60,000 baht ($1,700) for recreational use, while those selling cannabis for such use and participating in advertisement or marketing of buds, resin, extract or smoking devices face jail terms of up to a year, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($2,800) or both.

It also toughens punishment for cannabis farming without a licence, with jail terms ranging from one to three years and fines from 20,000 baht ($560) to 300,000 baht ($8,000).

Import, export, cultivation and commercial use of cannabis will also require permits now, the minister added.

The government, recognising the economic benefit of the cannabis industry, would give businesses time to adjust to the new regulation, Cholnan said.

Such shops could operate until their licences expire and convert to legal cannabis clinics if they follow the new rules, Cholnan said, adding that the new regulation would have no impact on tourism.

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Afghan border minister holds phone talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister

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Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.

According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.

As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).

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OIC Kabul mission chief meets German envoy to discuss Afghanistan situation

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The Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, Mohammed Saeed Alayyash, met on Sunday with Rolf Dieter Reinhard, Head of the German Liaison Office for Afghanistan in Doha and Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Afghanistan.

During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They focused on the security situation, as well as the humanitarian and economic conditions faced by the Afghan people.

The two officials also reviewed recent political developments and broader challenges in the country, highlighting the need for continued international engagement and support.

The meeting emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the OIC Mission and the German side in addressing Afghanistan’s challenges and in supporting efforts to promote stability and improve the humanitarian situation.

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Pakistan president claims situation in Afghanistan is ‘similar to or worse than pre-9/11’’

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Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has warned that the presence of militant groups in the region poses risks to global peace, and repeated Islamabad’s concerns regarding what it describes as the activities of “terrorist organisations operating from Afghanistan.”

Zardari made the remarks in a statement issued Sunday, as he thanked world leaders for expressing solidarity with Pakistan following the recent attack on an imambargah in Islamabad, which left dozens dead and many others wounded. The incident was claimed by Daesh militant group.

According to the statement from the President’s Secretariat, Zardari said Pakistan remains committed to combating terrorism and stressed that no single country can address the threat alone.

“Pakistan has long maintained that terrorism cannot be confronted by a single country in isolation,” he was quoted as saying.

Citing Pakistan’s experience, he said in the statement that whenever “terrorist groups are allowed space, facilitation or impunity beyond national borders, the consequences are borne by innocent civilians all over the world.”

Zardari further claimed that the situation in Afghanistan under the Islamic Emirate authorities has created conditions “similar to or worse than pre-9/11,” and said this has influenced security developments across the region. IEA has repeatedly rejected such allegations, insisting that Afghan soil is not used against any country.

 

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