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Thailand will distribute 1 million cannabis plants, says minister

The Thai government will distribute one million cannabis plants free of charge to homes across the country in June to mark the new law that allows people to grow cannabis in their homes, the health minister said.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the initiative in a Facebook post on May 8, in which he expressed his intention for cannabis to be grown as a “home garden”.

The new rule, which goes into effect on June 9, will allow people to grow cannabis at home after notifying the local government, but the plants will have to be of medical grade and used exclusively for medicinal purposes. Cannabis also cannot be marketed without a series of licences.

The initiative is the latest step in Thailand’s plan to promote cannabis as a cash crop. About a third of the country’s workforce works in agriculture, according to the World Bank.

In a region known for harsh punishments for the use of illegal substances, Thailand has become the first country to legalize the medical and research use of cannabis.

The kingdom also relaxed local laws around cannabis. Beverage and cosmetics companies have launched products with hemp and CBD, a compound that has no psychotropic effects, after approval for consumer goods.

In another Facebook post on May 10, Anutin pointed out that registered Thai companies could sell products that contain less than 0.2 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a part of the plant that causes hallucinogenic effects.

“This will allow the people and government to generate over 10 billion baht (local currency) per year in marijuana and hemp sales,” wrote Anutin.

Kitty Chopaka, a cannabis entrepreneur from Bangkok, told CNN that the law is intended to pave the way for people to use the plant in medicinal teas and soups.

“It will still be considered criminal if you don’t have a legal prescription, and you have to be a patient undergoing treatment for some disease for it to work. Only then can you grow cannabis at home and use it however you want.”

She added that while recreational use of the drug remains illegal, “marijuana smoking is going to happen, and there is no way for (the government) to stop it.”

Source: CNN Brasil

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