The Thai government will provide its citizens with 1 million cannabis plants from June. What's that for?
Recently, Thailand removed marijuana from the list of drugs in its country. The White Elephant Country legalized marijuana in 2018 for research and medical use, but now allows citizens to cultivate the plant at home, as long as it is not used for commercial purposes.
Quoted from IFL Science, anyone who wants to grow the plant can notify the local government starting June 9. To encourage the cultivation of the cannabis they want to promote as a commercial crop, they will also provide 1 million plants to grow at home.
Residents can only grow plants that contain less than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or the psychoactive compound in marijuana that causes intoxication, and marijuana should only be used for medical purposes.
It is not clear how Thailand will enforce this rule, and whether it sees it as a priority to enforce it. The cannabis plant will still be allowed to contain cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana, plus other compounds thought to contribute to the plant's medicinal properties.
For business people who intend to earn money, they still have to apply for a permit to plant and process it. Announcing the initiative on Facebook, Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul noted that using marijuana can improve the quality of life for cancer patients as well as people with chronic pain or insomnia.
The statement went on to say that the use of the drug by end-stage cancer patients and insomniacs significantly reduced the use of sedatives in medical trials.
To note, Thailand has experienced an explosion of products containing CBD since 2018, ranging from CBD brownies to sushi infused with the ingredient. The government hopes the supplement industry will continue to boom when restrictions are lifted further in June, and hopefully attract more tourists whose numbers have slumped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
