People who like cannabis can now go to Thailand. Is weed legal in Thailand? Thailand was the first Asian country to take cannabis off the list of illegal drugs. The most recent change happened by accident because of a regulation deadline.
The Bhumjaithai Party, led by Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, wants to decriminalize the herb. The main reason for pushing for this policy is that Thailand wants to get a piece of the growing global market. The Global Cannabis Report says the cannabis industry will bring in $103.9 billion by 2024.
How Is Cannabis Legalized in Thailand?
Is weed legal in Thailand? Since cannabis is no longer considered a drug, farmers and people in Thailand can now grow it for medical use. Weed legalized in thailand, can also help people stay healthy. Anyone in Thailand can grow a marijuana plant if they tell the government first through a website or a smartphone app.
The Food and Drug Authority issues licenses to companies and businesses that grow marijuana for industrial or commercial use. Cafes and restaurants can sell food and drinks with THC, but THC must be less than 0.2%.
Although it is not illegal to possess cannabis, it is illegal to use it at parties or for other recreational purposes. The same is true for using cannabis in public. People who break the marijuana laws in Thailand can be fined up to 25,000 baht ($723) or sent to jail for up to three months.
Reasons Why Thailand Decriminalize Cannabis
The government of Thailand legalized weed as a new business. The Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association thinks marijuana will be valued at 70 billion baht by 2024. According to the Global Cannabis Report, the legal cannabis market is worth $100 billion worldwide.
There is also a political reason. The ruling coalition’s Bhumjaithai Party promised to legalize cannabis in late 2018 before a 2019 election.
The party, based in Thailand’s poor northeast, suggested delisting cannabis as a narcotic and legalizing its growing. Many farmers dreamed of growing a profitable crop, and now they can.
Does the Government Address Addiction?
In six districts, the Prince Mother National Institute on Drug Abuse Treatment helps drug addicts. According to the institute, 1,170 people are significantly addicted to cannabis and need treatment now. Despite the Thai government’s emphasis on medical cannabis, some experts think private and recreational usage is inevitable and may lead to addiction.
Is It Legal to Use Cannabis for Medical Purposes?
Is weed legal in Thailand? In 2018, medical marijuana was made legal in Thailand. It made Thailand the first country in Asia to allow the medical and industrial use of cannabis. Thai law says that extracted cannabis must have less than 0.2% THC, a very small amount of the stuff that makes you high.
Thai hospitals and clinics can prescribe medical marijuana with this level of THC or less. If you get cannabis legally and use it in private, you’re good to go.
Under-20s, pregnant women, and lactating moms cannot possess or use cannabis without a doctor’s approval. Thai Buddhist monks and novices can’t smoke or grow cannabis, although they can use it to treat ailments.
Thailand weed legality, allows unlicensed merchants to sell items with much too much THC. To be safe, especially as a guest in Thailand, obtain and use medicinal THC products through network-approved hospitals and clinics.
Warnings against Smoking Cannabis in Public
Even though it is technically legal to grow and use cannabis at home, officials warn people not to go to Thailand just for cannabis. Ministry announcements are hard to understand because Charnvirakul keeps denying that recreational use is legal. At least in public, their main goal is to make money in the medical use part of the industry.
When reporters asked Charnvirakul about foreign tourists who use cannabis for fun, he said, “We don’t want those kinds of tourists.”
Can Tourists Smoke Cannabis in Thailand?
It depends. People can smoke it to treat or improve their health problems. A tourist could go to jail for any other use.
Some online media have called Thailand a new cannabis paradise. Still, Thailand’s health minister recently told CNN that the country “will only promote cannabis policies for medical purposes” and has never pushed for its use for fun.
Japanese tourists must observe extraterritorial laws or suffer legal penalties back home. Japanese people abroad, including those in Thailand, may face the same punishments if they cultivate, import, export, possess, or transfer marijuana, the Japanese embassy in Bangkok warned last year.
Conclusion
Is weed legal in Thailand? As cannabis becomes less illegal worldwide — for example, Australia is considering legalizing recreational use next year — holidays focusing on cannabis may become less of a novelty. Maybe it will become something we do every day instead of just when we travel.
When asked about Thailand becoming a place where cannabis can be used for fun, Charnvirakul says, “It might happen soon.” It gives people hope. Find out more about the growing cannabis industry by visiting 420CanNews.
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