Status: 09.06.2022 21:47
Thailand became the first country in Asia to legalize marijuana for medical and industrial use. The responsible ministry wants to distribute one million seedlings – also for economic reasons.
Thailand has legalized the cultivation and possession of marijuana. The country’s Ministry of Public Health removed the entire plant from the list of narcotics. This makes Thailand the first country in Asia to decriminalize marijuana for medical and industrial use. The ministry also announced it would distribute one million marijuana seedlings.
Penalties for smoking in public
However, the government warned that smoking in public could still be considered a nuisance and punishable by a fine of 25,000 baht. Marijuana extracts, such as oil, also remain illegal if they contain more than 0.2 percent of the intoxicating chemical THC.
For private use of marijuana, on the other hand, the rules are rather lax. All that is required is registration and a declaration that the harvest is intended for medicinal purposes. However, it is unlikely that what people grow and smoke at home will be controlled.
Tourists should be careful
Tourists should still be careful for now, warned Sarana Sommano of Chiang Mai University’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. “The problem is that cannabis is no longer considered a narcotic, but there are no regulations and rules from the Ministry for consumption,” she explained. This applies, for example, to driving under the influence of drugs.
Thailand’s move is primarily aimed at gaining a foothold in the medical marijuana market. The country already has a well-developed medical tourism industry. In addition, the tropical climate in Thailand is ideal for growing the plant.