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First in Asia, Thailand makes marijuana legal, but smoking discouraged
- Thailand is promoting cannabis for medical use only – people caught smoking in public could be subject to a potential 3-month sentence and a fine of US$780
- The new legal changes will mean that at least 4,000 people imprisoned for offences relating to cannabis will be released
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Thailand made it legal to cultivate and possess marijuana as of Thursday, like a dream come true for an ageing generation of pot smokers who recall the kick delivered by the legendary Thai Stick variety.
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The public health minister’s plan to distribute 1 million marijuana seedlings, beginning on Friday, has added to the impression that Thailand is turning into a weed wonderland.
The decision by the Food and Drug Administration to remove all of the plant from the category of narcotic drugs makes Thailand the first nation in Asia to decriminalise marijuana for medical and industrial use. But it is not following the examples of Uruguay and Canada, the only two countries so far that have legalised recreational marijuana on a national basis.
So far, it appears there will be no effort to police what people can grow and smoke at home, aside from registering to do so and declaring it is for medical purposes.
Some Thai advocates celebrated on Thursday by buying marijuana at a cafe that had previously been limited to selling products made from the parts of the plant that do not get people high. The dozen or so people who turned up early at the Highland cafe were able to choose from a variety of buds with names such as Sugarcane, Bubblegum, Purple Afghani and UFO.
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