Thailand will distribute 1 million cannabis plants for people to grow at home

Cannabis at Rak Jang farm in Thailand, one of the first farms licensed by the Thai government to grow and supply medical marijuana reuters

CNN on May 11 reported the government Thailand will distribute one million free cannabis plants to households across the country in June to mark a new rule allowing people to grow marijuana at home in effect.

This activity was announced by Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in a Facebook post on May 8. Mr. Charnvirakul said that the cannabis plant can be grown as a “family crop”.

The new regulation will take effect from June 9. Accordingly, people can grow cannabis plants at home after notifying the local authorities. However, these cannabis plants will have to be medical marijuana and is to be used for medicinal purposes only. In addition, marijuana cannot be used for commercial purposes without additional permits.

This is the latest step in Thailand’s plan to turn cannabis into a cash crop. According to World Bankabout a third of Thailand’s workforce works in the agricultural sector.

In 2018, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize cannabis for research and medical use.

Thailand has also relaxed its laws on cannabis. Last year, Thai cosmetics and beverage companies rushed to launch products with hemp extract and CBD, a compound that doesn’t cause euphoria, after they were approved for use. approved for use in consumer products.

In a Facebook post on May 10, Minister Anutin also noted that Thai companies that own a license can sell cannabis products containing less than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the stimulant. present in cannabis.

“This will help the people and government to get more than 10 billion baht ($289 million) a year from cannabis and hemp,” Anutin wrote.