Thailand becomes 1st Asian country to legalise cannabis, but smoking pot illegal

By Team Newsable | First Published Jun 10, 2022, 4:35 PM IST

Thais can now cultivate and sell cannabis plants at home after the government removed marijuana off its list of illegal narcotics. The country is the first in South-East Asia to do so. Despite proponents' claims that the measures fully legalise marijuana, recreational use remains illegal.

Thailand became the first nation in Asia to legalise cannabis on Thursday, but those who use the substance to get high would face harsh punishments, according to the minister who championed the shift. Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told CNN ahead of the announcement that legal cannabis cultivation would improve the economy, but that recreational use of the plant would remain prohibited.

"It's a no," Anutin, who is also the deputy prime minister, said. He said, "Under the legislation, we still have rules that limit the use, smoking, or usage of cannabis products in nonproductive ways."

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Anutin, a former tycoon, also said he hopes the Thai cannabis industry will generate billions of dollars in income by boosting agriculture.

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The country is well-known for its Thai Stick strain, which is named for the way its strong flowers are dried and wrapped into sticks and is the source of many strains presently produced in other countries. Thailand's government has cautioned anyone who want to light up for pleasure that doing so in public might result in a three-month prison sentence and a 25,000 baht ($780) fine.

Thailand's major goal is to build a name for itself in the medicinal marijuana industry. It already has a thriving medical tourism sector, and its tropical environment is excellent for cannabis cultivation.

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