Tracking Trends in Public Opinion on Cannabis Before and After Legalization in Thailand: A Social Media Content Analysis
Keywords:
Public opinion, Cannabis, Legalization, Social media, Substance abuseAbstract
Once cannabis was removed from the class-5 list, Thailand became the first Asian country to legalize its recreational use. However, the lack of regulation has raised public health concerns, and research specific to the Thai context is limited. This study analyzed public opinion on cannabis before and after its legalization using content from social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. A total of 321 posts before and 625 posts after the policy announcement were selected via purposive sampling for content analysis. The findings show that public opinion shifted more negatively after legalization, with concerns such as cannabis misuse, overly liberal policies, the need for cannabis-free educational zones, and its association with crime. However, some positive opinions were also expressed, highlighting cannabis as alternative medicine and challenging biases against its use. This analysis provides insights that can inform policy development and raise public awareness about the risks associated with the recreational usage of cannabis.
References
Aieorattanawadee, A. (2019). The “Ganja” discourses in Thai society: criminalization or medicalization. [Doctoral dissertation, Chulalongkorn University] Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations Archive. https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/chulaetd/9846
Allem, J. P., Majmundar, A., Dormanesh, A., & Donaldson, S. I. (2022). Identifying health-related discussions of cannabis use on twitter by using a medical dictionary: Content analysis of tweets. JMIR formative research, 6(2), e35027. https://doi.org/10.2196/35027
Assanangkornchai, S., Thaikla, K., Fahmee, M. T., Paileeklee, S., Charoenratana, S., & Saingam, D. (2021). A study on the current situation of medical cannabis use in Thailand. Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI). https://kb.hsri.or.th/dspace/handle/11228/5346?locale-attribute=th
Blagus, N., & Zitnik, S. (2018). Social media comparison and analysis: The best data source for research? Research Challenges in Information Science, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1109/RCIS.2018.8406662
Cavazos-Rehg, P., Krauss, M., Grucza, R., & Bierut, L. (2014). Characterizing the followers and tweets of a marijuana-focused twitter handle. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(6), e157. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3247
Cavazos-Rehg, P. A., Sowles, S. J., Krauss, M. J., Agbonavbare, V., Grucza, R., & Bierut, L. (2016). A content analysis of tweets about high-potency marijuana. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 166, 100-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.06.034
Center for Economic and Business Forecasting, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. (2022, July 25). Public Opinions on Cannabis Legalization Policy. https://cebf.utcc.ac.th/upload/poll_file/file_th_155d21y2022.pdf
Chongthanavanit, P., Kennedy, J. M., & Kheokao, J. (2020). Big data and social media qualitative research methodology. Thammasat Review, 23(2), 280-301. https://sc01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/tureview/article/view/239873
Cresswell, L., Espin-Noboa, L., Murphy, MSQ, Ramlawi, S., Walker, M.C., Karsai, M., & Corsi, D.J. (2022). The volume and tone of twitter posts about cannabis use during pregnancy: Protocol for a scoping review. JMIR Res Protoc, 11(3):e34421. https://doi.org/10.2196/34421
Daniulaityte, R., Chen, L., Lamy, F.R., Carlson, R.G., Thirunarayan K., & Sheth, A. (2016).“When ‘Bad’ is ‘Good”: Identifying personal communication and sentiment in drug-related tweets. JMIR Public Health Surveill, 2(2):e162.
Dong, X. & Lian, Y. (2021). A review of social media-base public opinion analyses: Challenges and recommendations. Technology in Society, 67, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101724
Donsbach, W. (2022). Challenge of the spiral-of-silence theory. Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 8(1), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v8i1.2058
Entman, R. E. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43, 51-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
Euamornvanich, P. (2020). The role of mass media and news report in crisis. Journal for Management Science Dhoneburi Rajabhat University, 2(1), 1-12.
Farrelly, K. N., Wardell, J. D., Marsden, E., Scarfe, M. L., Najdzionek, P., Turna, J., & MacKillop, J. (2023). The impact of recreational cannabis legalization on cannabis use and associated outcomes: A systematic review. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 17, 11782218231172054. https://doi.org/10.1177/11782218231172054
Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Swain-Campbell, N. (2002). Cannabis use and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence and young adulthood. Addiction, 97(9), 1123-1135. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00103.x
Hartman, R. L., & Huestis, M. A. (2013). Cannabis effects on driving skills. Clinical Chemistry, 59(3), 478-492. https://doi.org/10.1373/clinchem.2012.194381
Hasin, D. S., Saha, T. D., Kerridge, B. T., Goldstein, R. B., Chou, S. P., Zhang, H., Jung, J., Pickering, R. P., Ruan, W. J., Smith, S. M., Huang, B., & Grant, B. F. (2015). Prevalence of marijuana use disorders in the United States between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013. JAMA psychiatry, 72(12), 1235-1242. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.1858
Jeh-oh, F., & Tachopisalwong, A. (2021). Cannabis myths: Communication, knowledge, and beliefs in Thai society - A case study of users and stakeholders in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. (Report No. 62-1330966). Centre for addiction studies (CAS).
Kalayasiri, R., & Boonthae, S. (2023). Trends of cannabis use and related harms before and after legalization for recreational purpose in a developing country in Asia. BMC Public Health. 23, 911. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15883-6
Kemp, S. (2023, February 13). Digital 2023: Thailand. DataReportal. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-thailand
Khademi, S., Hallinan, C. M., Conway, M., & Bonomo, Y. (2023). Using social media data to investigate public perceptions of cannabis as a medicine: Narrative review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e36667. https://doi.org/10.2196/36667
Khan, S., Umer, R., Umer, S., & Naqvi, S.S. (2021). Antecedents of trust in using social media for E-government services: An empirical study in Pakistan. Technology in Society, 64, 101400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101400
Kim, H. S., & Monte, A. A. (2016). Colorado cannabis legalization and its effect on emergency care. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 68(1), 71-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2016.01.004
Kim, S., Mourali, A., Allem, J. P., Unger, J. B., Boley Cruz, T., & Smiley, S. L. (2021). Instagram posts related to backwoods cigarillo blunts: Content analysis. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 7(2), e22946. https://doi.org/10.2196/22946
Krauss, M. J., Sowles, S. J., Mylvaganam, S., Zewdie, K., Bierut, L. J., & Cavazos-Rehg, P. A. (2015). Displays of dabbing marijuana extracts on YouTube. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 155, 45-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.020
Krauss, M. J., Sowles, S. J., Stelzer-Monahan, H. E., Bierut, T., & Cavazos-Rehg, P. A. (2017). “It takes longer, but when it hits you it hits you!”: Videos about marijuana edibles on YouTube. Substance Use & Misuse, 52(6), 709-716. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2016.1253749
Ladegard, K., Thurstone, C., & Rylander, M. (2020). Marijuana legalization and youth. Pediatrics, 145(Suppl 2), S165-S174. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2056D
Lamy, F. R., Paek, S. C., & Meemon, N. (2024). Risk perception of cannabis use among a sample of Thai cannabis users. Journal of Population and Social Studies, 32, 575-590. Retrieved from https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jpss/article/view/271518
Li, M., Kakani, N., Li, C., & Park, A. (2020). “Understanding cannabis information on social media: Examining tweets from verified, regular, and suspended users,” 2020 IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI), Oldenburg, Germany, pp. 1-10, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICHI48887.2020.9374387
Lim, C. C. W., Leung, J., Chung, J. Y. C., Sun, T., Gartner, C., Connor, J., Hall, W., Chiu, V., Tisdale, C., Stjepanović, D., & Chan, G. (2021). Content analysis of cannabis vaping videos on YouTube. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 116(9), 2443-2453. https://doi.org/10.1111/
add.15424
McCarthy, S. D. S., Gaudreault, A., Xiao, J., Fischer, B., Hall, W., Lee, K., Kang, R., Aslanyan, G., Sood, M. M., & Myran, D. T. (2025). Evaluating the association between cannabis decriminalization and legalization and cannabis arrests and related disparities: A systematic review. International Journal of Drug Policy, 137, 104705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104705
Madila, S. S., Dida, M. A. & Kaijage, S. (2021). A Review of usage and applications of social media analytics. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 6(3), em0141. https://doi.org/10.21601/jisem/10958
Maneechot, S., Phommet, S., Chaiphet, C. & Rungsee, P. (2022). An analysis on agenda setting of free cannabis policy in Thailand through Kingdon’s model. Journal of Social Sciences and Modern Integrated Sciences, 3(2), 54-65.
Meacham, M. C., Nobles, A. L., Tompkins, D. A., & Thrul, J. (2022). “I got a bunch of weed to help me through the withdrawals”: Naturalistic cannabis use reported in online opioid and opioid recovery community discussion forums. PLOS One, 17(2), e0263583. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263583
Meier, M. H., Caspi, A., Ambler, A., Harrington, H., Houts, R., Keefe, R. S., McDonald, K., Ward, A., Poulton, R., & Moffitt, T. E. (2012). Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(40), E2657-E2664. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1206820109
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.
Miller, N. S., Ipeku, R., & Oberbarnscheidt, T. (2020). A review of cases of marijuana and violence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1578. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051578
Ministry of Public Health of Thailand (MOPH). (2021, July 5). Notification of the Ministry of Public
Health (No. 427), B.E. 2564 (2021) issued under the Food Act, B.E. 2522 (1979): Food products containing certain parts of cannabis or hemp. Food and Drug Administration, Thailand.https://food.fda.moph.go.th/media.php?id=509438793015762944&name=P427_E.pdf
Monshouwer, K., Van Dorsselaer, S., Verdurmen, J., Ter Bogt, T., De Graaf, R., & Vollebergh, W. (2006). Cannabis use and mental health in secondary school children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188(2), 148-153. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.188.2.148
Najafizada, M., Rahman, A., Donnan, J., Dong, Z., & Bishop, L. (2022,) Analyzing sentiments and themes on cannabis in Canada using 2018 to 2020 twitter data. Journal of Cannabis Research, 4(22) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-022-00132-1
Noelle-Neumann, E. (1974). The spiral of silence: A theory of public opinion. Journal of Communication, 24(2), 43-51.
O’Connor, C., & Joffe, H. (2020). Intercoder reliability in qualitative research: Debates and practical guidelines. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919899220
Office of the Council of State (OCS). (2014). Harmful Habit Forming Drug Act, B.E.2522. Bangkok: Office of the Council of State (OCS). https://www.ocpb.go.th/images/Article_File/5Rule2522.pdf
Roonkaseam, N. (2021a). Medical cannabis and news coverage: an analysis of how Thai mass media frame medical cannabis news. Public Health Policy and Laws Journal, 7(2), 289-308. https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/journal_law/article/view/250731
Roonkaseam, N. (2021b). Media agenda setting on medical cannabis. (Report No. 62-01619). Centre for addiction studies (CAS).
Salleh, S. (2017). From survey to social media: Public opinion and politics in the age of big data. Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience, 23(11):10696-10700 https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2017.10133
Salomonsen-Sautel, S., Sakai, J. T., Thurstone, C., Corley, R., & Hopfer, C. (2012). Medical marijuana use among adolescents in substance abuse treatment. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(7), 694-702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2012.04.004
Sánchez Artiles, A. E., Awan, A., Karl, M., & Santini, A. (2019). Cardiovascular effects of cannabis (marijuana): A timely update. Phytotherapy research: PTR, 33(5), 1592-1594. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6315
Sirita, U. (2022). Construction and implication of cannabis discourse in Thailand’s cannabis legalization: A comparative study of English-language traditional and new media. Suranaree Journal of Social Science, 17(2), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.55766/AUMO7803
Spillane, T. E., Wong, B. A., & Giovenco, D. P. (2021). Content analysis of Instagram posts by leading cannabis vaporizer brands. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 218, 108353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108353
Stieglitz, S., Mirbabaie, M., Ross, B., & Neuberger, C. (2018). Social media analytics - Challenges in topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation. International Journal of Information Management, 39, 156-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2017.12.002
Thai Government Gazette. (2019, February 18). Narcotics Act (No.7) B.E. 2562 volume 136 section 19. https://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2562/A/019/T_0001.PDF
Thaikla, K., Pinyopornpanish, K., Jiraporncharoen, W., & Angkurawaranon, C. (2018). Cannabis and kratom online information in Thailand: Facebook trends 2015-2016. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 13, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-018-0155-4
Thompson, L., Rivara, F. P., & Whitehill, J. M. (2015). Prevalence of marijuana-related traffic on Twitter, 2012-2013: A Content analysis. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 18(6), 311-319. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0620
Tran, T., Nguyen, D., Nguyen, A., & Golen, E.F. (2018). “Sentiment analysis of marijuana content via Facebook emoji-based reactions”. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), Kansas City, MO, USA, 2018, pp. 1-6, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICC.2018.8422104
Volkow, N.D., Baler, R.D. Compton, W.M., & Weiss, S.R.B. (2014). Adverse health effects of marijuana use. The New England journal of medicine, 370(23), 2219-2227. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1402309
Wannapaschaiyong, P., Bunman, S., & Choukuljaratsiri, O. (2023). Cannabis and its effects on the health of children and adolescents. Siriraj Medical Bulletin, 16(2), 181-187. https://doi.org/10.33192/smb.v16i3.260132
Yang, Q., Sangalang, A., Rooney, M., Maloney, E., Emery, S., & Cappella, J. N. (2018). How is marijuana vaping portrayed on YouTube? Content, features, popularity and retransmission of vaping marijuana YouTube videos. Journal of Health Communication, 23(4), 360-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2018.1448488
Zaller, J. R. (1992). The nature and origins of mass opinion. Cambridge University Press.
Zeng, D., Chen, H., Lusch, R. & Li, S.-H. (2010). Social media analytics and intelligence. Intelligent Systems, 26(6), 13-16. https://doi.org/10.1109/MIS.2010.151
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Thammasat Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The opinions and ideas expressed in all submissions published in Thammasat Review are solely that of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect that of the editors or the editorial board.
The copyright of all articles including all written content and illustrations belong to Thammasat Review. Any individuals or organisation wishing to publish, reproduce and distribute a particular manuscript must seek permission from the journal first.
