BANGKOK: Thailand plans to tighten cannabis regulations and propose tougher penalties for violations as part of broader efforts to strengthen drug prevention and enforcement.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the proposed amendments to the Narcotics Act concerning cannabis were discussed at the third meeting of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) this year on Thursday.

"Drug policies must be guided by scientific evidence, facts and the public interest," he said in a statement published on the Royal Thai Government website.

He said the government would maintain a clear distinction between medical cannabis use and recreational consumption.