Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drafted a bill to legalize the cultivation and consumption of cannabis. The country could also legalize its recreational use in several regions of the country.
Personal cultivation and consumption of cannabis could soon be allowed in Thailand.
On Monday, FDA General Secretary Paisarn Dunkum said that his administration had drafted a bill aligned with the Department of Public Health’s resolution to remove cannabis from the list of narcotics.
The FDA bill would allow people to grow cannabis for their own consumption, as long as they report such cultivation to their respective provincial administrative organizations. Domestic consumption would be reserved for medical purposes.
When asked how authorities would know if a household was growing cannabis for recreational purposes, the FDA chief said it would be difficult for authorities to inspect individual cases. However, he warned that anyone who grows unregistered cannabis faces a fine of up to 20,000 baht.
Companies wishing to import, export, sell, and advertise cannabis will need specific approval from the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that the ONCB approved the removal of cannabis from the list of controlled drugs.
The bill still needs to be officially signed by the Minister of Health and will enter into force 120 days after publication in the official journal.
Regarding the legalization of recreational cannabis, the authorities of Thailand consider allowing certain regions to market it, though nothing has been decided yet.
“Of course, we won’t go to the coffee shop stage, but there are different models for its recreational use in other countries. We will choose the one that suits best our social context,” said the FDA general secretary.
Dr. Paisarn Dunkum said the nature of the new bill is to prohibit recreational use of cannabis except in designated areas where the restrictions would be less rigid.
The general secretary said that the designated areas would need to be approved. At the same time, cannabis use will not be permitted for people under 20 years old nor for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
A committee of the Ministry of Public Health should develop specific bills for regions to market the recreational use of cannabis, he added.
A public hearing on the new bill will take place next month, Dr. Paisarn said
