Thailand cashes in on cannabis legalisation with surge in weed-infused products like milk tea and toothpaste
- Thailand has witnessed an explosion in cannabis-infused products since the government legalised the plant earlier this year
- Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul estimates the cannabis industry in Thailand could be worth more than US$3 billion within five years
Thai businesses are cashing in with cannabis-infused products like toothpaste, tea, soaps and snacks after the government legalised the plant and its extract this year, generating a wave of interest in the drug.
“It gives me a deep and comfortable sleep,” said Pakpoom Charoenbunna, 32, who buys a cannabis-infused drink from his regular milk-tea vendor.
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Thailand decriminalises selling and growing cannabis
Officially, commercial products approved by the food and drug regulator can contain cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical in cannabis that does not make users high.
But the regulator limits the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the active ingredient that gets users high – in any cannabis product to just 0.2 per cent.
Thailand has a long history of using cannabis in traditional medicine to relieve aches and pains. Innovators are now coming up with new ideas.