Thailand to put cannabis out of narcotics list

Following the recent announcement from Thailand’s narcotics board that the country will be the first in Asia to de-list cannabis as a dangerous drug, several tourism ideas started to emerge, as Thailand’s economy was severely struck by the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Since cannabis with a content of THC below 0.2% will no longer be considered a narcotic, the country expects a boost in both medical marijuana use and well-being tourism.

The change is unexpected, since Thailand is one of the countries that used to impose very strict sanctions for cannabis consumers, which were at risk of facing as much as 15 years in prison if caught using the plant.

As for now, as announced by the public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul, 4 months after the de-listing decision will be published on the Royal Thai Government Gazette website, people will be allowed to grow plants in their own house. Of course, authorities must be notified in regards of this occupation, while people will also be able to get commercial growth licences.

The move is expected to attract medical and well-being tourism enthusiasts, as the new law will empower niche businesses to expand their portfolio of cannabis based products and therapies.

“For Thailand legalising marijuana, in my opinion, this is good news for agriculture, medical, and other business opportunities,” commented Mark Ritchie, executive director of Thailand’s International Sustainable Development Studies Institute.

Officials are even considering allowing tourists to use recreational cannabis in dedicated areas in order to boost local tourism, but this decision is yet to be taken.

Thailand welcomed almost 40 million visitors during 2019, as for 2022 the country obtained a $2.5bn tourism revenue, with most of this amount being obtained from health and wellness activities. All things considered, it is expected that the recreational cannabis market will worth an approximate $424m by 2024 and maybe boost post-Covid stagnating economy, research firm Prohibition Partners declared.

“Thailand has done very well with Covid-19 but still the economy has been really impacted. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is part of the government saying, ‘Hey, we need to find some way to help boost the economy, and this could be one way to do it’,” Ritchie also continued.

According to the opinion of public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul, cannabis legalisation would be “a win-win situation for the Thai people because they will grow the plant and it will benefit the economy”.

However, it yet remains to be seen how the new legislation will be applied, considering that all products containing more than 0.2 per cent of THC will still remain illegal across the entire country.

 

Sources: theguardian.com, inews.co.uk