Thailand to allow anyone to grow marijuana – but conditions apply
Residents of Thailand will be allowed to grow “as many marijuana plants as they want” in their own homes, according to Thailand’s health minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
However, he said the public would have to wait until June 9 when the health ministry’s directive decriminalising marijuana goes into effect.
The minister added that people will not have to seek permission for growing marijuana, but will have to inform the authorities about the number of plants they possess. He said the registration of the number of plants is required by an international treaty Thailand has ratified.
“Medical grade cannabis” only
However, there is some more fine print involved and those who are looking ahead of puffing high-grade marijuana on their veranda in the future might be disappointed. The plants must be “medical grade cannabis” used for medicinal purposes only. Growing marijuana for recreational use is still not allowed.
And at the moment, it is unclear what the definition of “medical grade cannabis” means for home growers. Currently, it is legal in Thailand for registered companies to sell marijuana products which contain less than 0.2 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. The minister has not yet addressed whether the THC content of home-grown plants can or should be controlled.
This low THC content is normally found in hemp, a non-psychoactive variety of the cannabis sativa plant used in various industries. The average concentration of THC in dried high-grade cannabis used by serious smokers is between 15 and 30 per cent.
Eyeing high-end cannabis tourism
Still, Thailand shows some progressivity in its stance towards decriminalising marijuana. The country was the first in Southeast Asia to sanction medical use of marijuana in 2018. And it is putting efforts in creating what it envisages as “high-end cannabis tourism” in its medical and wellbeing sector.
Authorities are also exploring the idea of a “cannabis sandbox” that would allow tourists to visit the country while recreationally using cannabis in select areas. Estimations are that the marijuana market in Thailand has the potential to be worth $424 million by 2024, according to London-based cannabis research firm Prohibition Partners.
Residents of Thailand will be allowed to grow “as many marijuana plants as they want” in their own homes, according to Thailand’s health minister Anutin Charnvirakul. However, he said the public would have to wait until June 9 when the health ministry’s directive decriminalising marijuana goes into effect. The minister added that people will not have to seek permission for growing marijuana, but will have to inform the authorities about the number of plants they possess. He said the registration of the number of plants is required by an international treaty Thailand has ratified. “Medical grade cannabis” only However, there...
Residents of Thailand will be allowed to grow “as many marijuana plants as they want” in their own homes, according to Thailand’s health minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
However, he said the public would have to wait until June 9 when the health ministry’s directive decriminalising marijuana goes into effect.
The minister added that people will not have to seek permission for growing marijuana, but will have to inform the authorities about the number of plants they possess. He said the registration of the number of plants is required by an international treaty Thailand has ratified.
“Medical grade cannabis” only
However, there is some more fine print involved and those who are looking ahead of puffing high-grade marijuana on their veranda in the future might be disappointed. The plants must be “medical grade cannabis” used for medicinal purposes only. Growing marijuana for recreational use is still not allowed.
And at the moment, it is unclear what the definition of “medical grade cannabis” means for home growers. Currently, it is legal in Thailand for registered companies to sell marijuana products which contain less than 0.2 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. The minister has not yet addressed whether the THC content of home-grown plants can or should be controlled.
This low THC content is normally found in hemp, a non-psychoactive variety of the cannabis sativa plant used in various industries. The average concentration of THC in dried high-grade cannabis used by serious smokers is between 15 and 30 per cent.
Eyeing high-end cannabis tourism
Still, Thailand shows some progressivity in its stance towards decriminalising marijuana. The country was the first in Southeast Asia to sanction medical use of marijuana in 2018. And it is putting efforts in creating what it envisages as “high-end cannabis tourism” in its medical and wellbeing sector.
Authorities are also exploring the idea of a “cannabis sandbox” that would allow tourists to visit the country while recreationally using cannabis in select areas. Estimations are that the marijuana market in Thailand has the potential to be worth $424 million by 2024, according to London-based cannabis research firm Prohibition Partners.
