Thailand Legalizes Marijuana Cultivation

The Southeast Asian country of Thailand has legalized the possession and cultivation of cannabis.

The Thai government became the first Asian country to legalize the possession and cultivation of cannabis. People who use cannabis for recreational purposes in public places can be sentenced to 3 months in prison and a fine of 25,000 Thai baht ($780). The Thai government has announced that they have made this legalization for medical use. Calling the public to awareness, Minister of Health Anutin Charnvirakul said, "We should know how to use cannabis. If we have awareness, cannabis is a precious thing like gold and should be promoted." Stating that the ministry will take additional measures, Health Minister Charnvirakul noted that the government has chosen to "raise awareness" better on this issue, rather than patrolling and using the law to control and punish the people. In addition, Charnvirakul underlined that if the amount of cannabis (THC) is more than 0.2 percent, it will be considered illegal. The government is preparing to evacuate around 4,000 people imprisoned for cannabis. With this decision, the Thai government aims to contribute to the domestic cannabis trade in agriculture and tourism.