Thailand is set to decriminalize cannabis starting Thursday, the 9th of June, the first such move in Asia, seeking to grab a slice of a growing market for cannabis-infused food and medicinal cannabis treatments.
It will no longer be a crime to grow and trade cannabis and hemp products, a move aimed at bolstering the country’s crucial agriculture and tourism sectors. However, prospects for the Thai cannabis trade will be limited by the country’s ban on adult-use and the production of anything with more than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound that gives users a “high” sensation.
Companies and individual farmers will be allowed to cultivate the plants in farms and gardens. Clinics across the nation can offer medical cannabis to treat various illnesses, and restaurants can serve cannabis-infused dishes and drinks with less than 0.2% THC.
However, extracts containing more than 0.2% THC are still against the law. Adult use is still banned. Anyone found smoking cannabis for recreation will be subject to lengthy jail terms and fines.
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