On Tuesday, Thailand’s interim cabinet approved the first-ever bill to allow the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The bill would also decriminalize hemp, kratom and opium for medical research. It will now be forwarded to the National Legislative Assembly for deliberation.
The proposal marks a swift change from Thailand’s bloody war on drugs. Possession of cannabis can currently result in imprisonment for up to 15 years in Thailand.
A plan to build an 800-hectare marijuana plantation in the Salon Nakhon province of Thailand was announced by farmer association chairman Prapat Panyachartraksa. That plan, however, failed to get authorization from the ministry of health.
But the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has mentioned the possibility of allowing people to grow cannabis for medical use. “Three years from now, we may consider granting people such permission,” said ONCB Secretary-General Sirinya Sitdhichai on Thursday, reports The Nation.
Government Pharmaceutical Organization chairman Dr. Sopon Mekthon said the GPO plans to develop a 1,100 square meter marijuana farm at its Bangkok headquarters. According to Sopon, the GPO also plans to buy a machine to extract cannabis concentrates.
Read more at Herb (Steve Elliott)
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