'Cannabis king' to Thailand prime minister: Anutin Charnvirakuls' political rise linked to nation's hemp legalisation revolution

New Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s journey from a political outsider to the top of Thailand’s power structure is inseparable from one of the most radical policy experiments in Southeast Asia in which he played a crucial role: cannabis legalisation. The so-called 'Cannabis King' of Thailand was one of the forces behind Thailand's boldest drug reform, which made recreational use of cannabis legal. Anutin leveraged his controversial but popular stance into national prominence. Anutin won 311 parliamentary votes after the ousting of Paetongtarn Shinawatra. In order to get support from the opposition People’s Party, Anutin pledged fresh elections within four months, constitutional reforms, and possibly a referendum.

Anutin Charnvirakul, the new Thailand PM: What you should know

The 58-year-old business executive-turned-politician holds an engineering degree from Hofstra University in New York. Anutin is the major shareholder and former president of Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction, which was involved in major infrastructure projects like Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The royalist businessman is a pragmatic conservative. He is a Buddhist amulet collector and a licensed pilot. Anutin once flew organs for emergency transplants.

Anutin Charnvirakul: Political career

Anutin was the deputy health minister under Thaksin Shinawatra in 2004. He was later banned from politics after the Thai Rak Thai party was dissolved by court order. He re-emerged as the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party in 2012, turning it into a power broker through rural support and playing the role of kingmaker in coalition governments. Between 2019 and 2023, Anutin served as health minister, and from 2023 until becoming prime minister, he was interior minister. The savvy politician cultivated strong ties with both military-linked conservatives and local patronage networks.

How Anutin became the force behind Thailand's cannabis revolution

Anutin was one of the major voices favouring legislation to legalise cannabis. His view was that it could reduce prison overcrowding — over 80 per cent of inmates were jailed for drug-related offences.

He argued that legal cannabis would alleviate rural poverty and sought to position cannabis and hemp as “cash crops” that would boost both agriculture and tourism.

In a party stunt during the 2022 election campaign, Anutin’s party gave away one million free cannabis plants. He even wore a marijuana-leaf print shirt to vote in the 2023 election.

He was mostly proven right. The legalisation of cannabis attracted more foreign tourists and empowered many farmers.

Cannabis legalisation in Thailand: Major milestones

In 2018, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian nation to legalise medical cannabis. It was decriminalised in 2022, making Thailand the first Asian country to allow recreational use.

The legalisation led to a boom, with over 11,200 cannabis dispensaries opened across the country by 2025. Cannabis is projected to become a $9.6 billion industry by 2030. Cannabis tourism surged, especially in hubs like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya.

But Thailand's cannabis legalisation faced backlash

In recent years, however, there has been social and political pressure to roll back some of the reforms due to youth misuse, unregulated access, and black market exports.

The former prime minister, Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party, tried to recriminalise cannabis amid the pressure. Anutin, then still in the ruling coalition, opposed the recriminalisation, instead seeking stricter medical oversight.

Some restrictions are in place now: Cannabis buds were reclassified as 'controlled herbs', and medical use is allowed only with a prescription. Recreational use is practically banned, but enforcement remains inconsistent.

Anutin has said that his intention was never to allow unregulated recreational use, but to enable "medicinal and economic empowerment".

Anutin’s legacy will be linked to cannabis

Anutin has taken over as PM at a time of economic slowdown due to global trade tensions and political instability, which saw five prime ministers removed in 17 years. The cannabis industry he promoted is in limbo, caught between business potential and conservative social backlash.

For better or worse, Anutin will be tied to the cannabis revolution which made him a household name.