420 with CNW — Thai Government to Distribute Mar
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The government in Thailand has announced that it plans to distribute one million free marijuana plants in June as it marks the commencement of a new law permitting the cultivation of marijuana at home. This announcement was made by the nation’s health minister.
Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand’s health minister, took to Facebook to make his announcement on May 8, 2022. He said that the government wants marijuana to be grown like any other household crop.
The rule he referred to is expected to take effect on June 9, 2022. This new legislation paves the ground for individuals to notify the authorities in their locality about their need to start growing cannabis at home. The plants must meet the quality requirements for medicinal marijuana, and the person growing those plants should use them exclusively for therapeutic purposes and not for commerce. Those interested in growing marijuana for sale can apply for additional permits from the authorities.
The soon-to-be implemented law marks another step in Thailand’s journey to promote the cultivation of marijuana like any other cash crop. The World Bank estimates that approximately 33% of the population in the country is employed within the agriculture sector, so adding marijuana to the list of crops farmers can grow would be a boon for the sector.
It should be noted that the broader southeast Asian region is famous for its stringent laws against illicit drugs, such as marijuana. However, Thailand broke ranks and legalized medicinal marijuana back in 2018. The country has also eased its other laws related to cannabis in general.
For example, cannabidiol and hemp in general were legalized for use as food and cosmetics ingredients. As a result there has been a proliferation of companies marketing cosmetics and beverages containing these ingredients.
In another post made two days after his post announcing the free marijuana plants, Anutin also mentioned that locally registered companies that had the appropriate paperwork were free to begin selling marijuana products as long as the THC content didn’t exceed 0.2%. THC is the compound that gets cannabis users “high.”
Anutin added that marijuana commerce will make it possible for the country to earn at least 10bn baht ($288 million) annually from this industry.
Kitty Chopaka, a marijuana entrepreneur based in Bangkok, indicated that in her view, this upcoming legislation is intended to make medical cannabis part of the healthcare system in the country. According to her, one must have a prescription allowing the use of medicinal marijuana in order to be permitted to grow cannabis at home. She further indicated that while recreational adult-use cannabis isn’t legal, people are bound to smoke the substance and the government won’t be able to prevent that from happening.
With Thailand due to begin commercial sales of medical marijuana, more of the world looks set to open to international cannabis sector actors such as Flora Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: FLGC), one country at a time.
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