Being caught with recreational marijuana in Thailand will definitely get you a spot in a jail cell. For a couple of years. However, the country is moving to legalize medical marijuana this week, this makes it the first nation in Southeast Asia to take on such a degree.
This final week of December and 2018 the Thailand National Legislative Assembly appointed by the country’s ruling military, approved changes to the drug laws which aim to legalize the use of marijuana for research and medicine. The cote carried a 166 to 0 in favor of legalization of medical marijuana. All that is left is for the King Maha Vajiralongkorn to approve the decision.
The lawmaker who assisted in the drafting the legislation, Somchai Sawangkarn said, “the National Legislative Assembly has gifted the government and Thai people the gift of legal medical marijuana.”
How It Will Work?
However, there will be very strict restrictions on medical marijuana. Patients who will be approved for medical marijuana will need a prescription. There will also be clear limitations to who can plant and who can sell the cannabis.
Thailand’s National Farmers Council have faith that marijuana has the potential to become a new and lucrative economic crop. This would earn Thailand almost more than $3 billion each year. However, many advocates in Thailand are afraid that foreign firms will intrude the market without government action the local interest up for grabs.
Countries all over the world are looking to capitalize on the profits that will come in from the marijuana industry. Israel’s parliament just also approved the exportation of medical marijuana for the first time ever.
Thailand has begun taking baby steps to a more expansive legalization program. The lawmaker. Sawangkarn said,” our society is not yet ready for the legalization of recreational marijuana, that is why the first step was for medical marijuana.”
