BANGKOK (AP) – The cultivation and possession of marijuana in Thailand was decriminalized on Thursday as a dream come true for an aging generation of pot smokers who remember the hit of the legendary Thai Stick variety.
The stated intention of the country’s Minister of Public Health to distribute 1 million marijuana seedlings for cultivation added even more to the impression that Thailand is becoming a wonderland of weeds.
But for now, future marijuana tourists will be disappointed. Thailand has become the first nation in Asia to decriminalize marijuana – also known as cannabis or ganja in local jargon – but does not follow the example of Uruguay and Canada, the only two countries to legalize marijuana for their national entertainment. basis.
The government has said it advertises cannabis for medical use only, warning those who want to indulge in entertainment that smoking in public places can still be considered an inconvenience, subject to a potential 3-month sentence and a fine of 25,000 Thai baht. ($ 780). And the extracted content remains illegal if it contains more than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the chemical that makes people upset.
This is approximately the same amount that can be found in hemp, a variety of cannabis grown primarily for fiber that is used for industrial purposes.
Thailand is seeking to make a fuss in the medical marijuana market, whose benefits are usually derived from other cannabinol chemicals the plant contains. Thailand already has a well-developed medical tourism industry, and its climate is ideal for growing cannabis.
“We need to know how to use cannabis,” said Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the country’s largest marijuana producer. “If we have the right mind, cannabis is like gold, something valuable and needs to be promoted.”
But he added: “We will have additional notifications from the Ministry of Health from the Ministry of Health. If it causes inconvenience, we can use this law (to stop people from smoking).
He said the government preferred to “build consciousness”, which would be better than patrolling to check people and use the law to punish them.
“Everything should be in the middle of nowhere,” Anutin told a news conference ahead of Thursday’s decriminalization.
Add Comment