Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew has signed proposed legislation regarding cannabis in Thailand, emphasising that it cannot be used for recreational purposes. "The new law will clearly stipulate that cannabis must be used for medical purposes only. It will also encourage the use of cannabis for a range of health benefits," Dr Cholnan said. "Regarding the using of cannabis for recreational purposes, there will be a clear measure to control and prevent this. Under the Narcotics Code, products containing over 0.2% THC by weight will be considered illegal. (See also: Thailand's new government to ban cannabis for recreational use | Draft bill on cannabis control not finished, says Cholnan)

The Ministry of Public Health will next year push for legalisation of all cannabis parts, lifting the last remaining hurdle preventing full use and commercialisation of the plant. Thailand earlier removed stems, roots, leaves and sprigs of cannabis from its Category 5 narcotics list, but kept flowers and buds on it. The new Narcotics Code no longer has cannabis and hemp on it. The next step is for the ministry to announce a revised narcotics list of all five categories based on the new law. Cannabis in all but one form will no longer be on it, minister Anutin Charnvirakul said. The only exception is cannabidiol (CBD) extracts with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of more than 0.2%, he added. (See also: Rethinking cannabis)

Authorities in Thailand overseeing a flood of patents for medical cannabis must consider the public interest, otherwise a commercial monopoly of the medicines and cultivation would result, experts warn. Advocacy group Thai Drug Watch said that the Intellectual Property Department is jeopardising public access to cannabinoid medicines and other drugs by limiting its focus to the economic benefits for big business. This would place full control over the entire product chain of medical cannabis in the hands of transnational pharmaceutical companies, it added. (See also: Will Thailand’s legal medical marijuana seed a new black market?)

An opinion survey found 86% of respondents support the medical use of marijuana and kratom, 39% think authorities can control its use, and 59% want its use to be restricted to certain places. The National Institute of Development Administration and the Public Relations Department polled 2,058 people nationwide to gather their opinions about the medical use of marijuana and kratom. A huge majority  (86.3%) said they supported its use because research confirmed marijuana and kratom could serve medical purposes and provide treatment alternatives. All respondents were aware that the narcotic law permitted the medical use of marijuana and kratom and 98.40% knew that marijuana had medical treatment benefits. (See also: Five cannabis drugs set for debut)

The Narcotics Control Board meeting has endorsed the Public Health Ministry's latest draft list of narcotic substances, in which all components of cannabis no longer appear as a Category 5 narcotic substance. After the meeting, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said this decision is in line with the government policy to promote the use of cannabis for medical, research and educational purposes. It also complies with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's order to have people benefit from cannabis. However, cannabis extracts must have less than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by weight. With cannabis legalisation being a flagship policy of Mr Anutin's Bhumjaithai Party, he said the party will propose a draft bill on the issue to the House of Representatives.

Since December, MPs in Thailand have been working on getting the long-awaited cannabis and hemp control bill to pass its second reading. This push is a breath of fresh air not only for patients and medical practitioners but also investors looking to export cannabis as a cash crop. The reason? The bill had been filibustered by a number of political parties, both in the government coalition and the opposition, since September, with the Democrat, Pheu Thai, and the libertarian Move Forward Party (MFP) withdrawing their support for the legislation, which aimed to lay out the rules to control cannabis consumption after it was deregulated in June last year. (See also: Vote trims weed control bill)

The leaves of kratom, a native of Southeast Asia in the coffee family, are used to relieve pain and improve mood as an opiate substitute and stimulant. The herb is also combined with cough syrup to make a popular beverage in Thailand called "4x100." Because of its psychoactive properties, kratom is illegal in Thailand, Australia, Myanmar (Burma) and Malaysia. Thailand is considering legalizing kratom as a safer alternative for meth addicts, and U.S. researchers are studying its potential to help opiate abusers kick the habit without withdrawal side effects.

Durante siglos, los tailandeses han consumido kratom, una planta originaria del Sudeste Asiático empleada en la medi­cina tradicional. Mascada, en forma de píldoras o preparada como infusión, sus defensores aseguran que, dependiendo de la dosis, puede servir como anal­gésico natural o estimulante, ayuda a superar adicciones y que entraña pocos riesgos para la salud. Con todo, en las últimas décadas ha permanecido incluida en la lista de drogas ­ilícitas elaborada por las autoridades locales, una clasificación que abandonó hace tan solo unos días. Desde ahora, los tailandeses que lo deseen podrán consumir y vender esta planta sin problemas, algo que antes estaba penado con hasta dos años de prisión y multas de unos 5.000 euros para cantidades superiores a los diez kilos.

A total of 31,177 people applied for the medical marijuana amnesty online during the 90-day registration period, which means the number of medical marijuana users in Thailand may exceed 50,000, says the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Disease Health Science Centre. However, Prof Thiravat Hemachudah, the head of the centre -- which assisted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the online amnesty registration process -- said patients will still have to contact the FDA to complete the process. Prof Thiravat said the Red Cross and the FDA never expected to receive so many queries and applications for an amnesty when the initiative was launched. (See also: Pot prescriptions possible by end of June)

Thailand’s Cabinet approved a proposal from the Public Health Ministry that would allow health professionals, farmers and medical patients to grow, produce and export cannabis and its products. The Public Health Minister submitted a draft amendment to the Narcotics Act to expand access to medical cannabis in Thailand. The draft amendment would allow patients who are certified by doctors, traditional and applied medicine professionals, and farmers to ask for permission from the ministry to produce, import, export, distribute and possess cannabis. The existing law allows only government units and those who are involved in medical cannabis development with permission from the ministry to engage in such activities to develop medical knowledge in collaboration with the government.

Thailand legalised cultivating and consuming cannabis this month, reversing a hard-line approach of long prison sentences or even the death penalty for drug offences. Cafés and stalls have been openly selling all kinds of cannabis products, or showing off jars filled with potent marijuana flowers. The minister for public health, Anutin Charnvirakul - architect of the new law - was seen sampling weed-laced curries, and being applauded by farmers who hope it will bring them new sources of income. The new law appears to give Thailand what is perhaps the most liberal approach to marijuana anywhere in the world. For the moment, people can grow and consume as much of the plant as they like, though there are a few limits on how they can market and sell it. (See also: Thousands of cannabis offenders being released, but not all)

Thailand opened its first full-time clinic specialising in traditional and alternative cannabis-based medicine, as part of a move by the government towards developing a medicinal cannabis industry. "This is a pilot clinic, because we cannot produce enough doctors with expertise in cannabis," Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirankul, told reporters at the opening ceremony in Bangkok. Patients will receive treatment free of charge for the first two weeks, he added. Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, legalized marijuana for medical use and research in 2017 to boost agricultural income.

Thailand’s new prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, has said his government will “rectify” its cannabis policy and limit its use to medical purposes within six months. Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis after it delisted the marijuana plant as a narcotic last year, leading to a boom of cannabis cafes and weed dispensaries in popular tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya. However, the failure to pass legislation to regulate its use has opened a legal vacuum in the country. Thailand’s new leader, a real estate tycoon who came to power in August, said there has been an agreement among the coalition government about the need to change the law and ban its use for recreation. (See also: Cannabis in Thailand: New PM against recreational use)

Thailand delivered 4,500 bottles of cannabis oil to treat hospital patients, its first official use of marijuana for medical purposes since a measure legalising such use took effect this year. Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, legalised marijuana for medical use and research last year to help boost agricultural income. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) delivered the bottles to the public health ministry to distribute to hospitals for about 4,000 registered patients, with a further 2,000 bottles to be distributed this month. "This is the outcome of legalising medical cannabis," said deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the public health minister. "There is no hidden agenda. We only want to support every patient."

Thailand's decriminalisation of cannabis has delighted its fans, alarmed some health experts and has increasingly disappointed farmers who have been undercut by illegal imports, sending a promise of a new bonanza crop up in smoke. Marijuana has also become an election football with the opposition criticising the ruling pro-military coalition in the run-up to May 14 polls for rushing through decriminalisation last year to what they say is the detriment of society, youngsters in particular. Thousands of cannabis shops and businesses have sprung up, especially in Bangkok and tourist spots, since Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalise the drug.

One year after Thailand decriminalised cannabis, Thailand’s Ganja TV, a Facebook page with 90,000-odd followers, are looking on as rival politicians threaten to make dispensaries and open consumption illegal once more – or at least tightly controlled. At the centre of attention is Pita Limjaroenrat, the prime minister-in-waiting whose Move Forward Party (MPF) scored an upset to come first place in last month’s general elections. While MFP is viewed as the most liberal of Thailand’s political parties, cannabis advocates say it is leading the drive to rein in recreational use, casting a pall over the country’s cannabis industry. Pita says the cannabis boom should be put on pause to curb widespread recreational use until the incoming government can pass a proposed Cannabis Act.

Nearly a year after Thailand decriminalised cannabis amid promises of an economic bonanza, Thai growers and sellers say they are being undercut by illegal imports from the United States that sell for a fraction of the price of homegrown buds. Thailand struck cannabis from its list of banned narcotics in June 2022 after a high-profile campaign by Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to establish the kingdom as a global hub for cannabis for medical purposes. But Thailand’s parliament has yet to pass a long-awaited cannabis bill, leaving the regulatory framework for the industry in limbo. The Bhumjathai Party’s big promises have predictably fallen flat, with big money from the US, the Netherlands and Canada dashing hopes of a booming domestic industry, according to veteran cannabis advocate Chokwan “Kitty” Chopaka.

A party in Thailand's ruling coalition has proposed a draft law that would allow Thais to grow a limited amount of cannabis at home, less than a year after the country legalised the drug for medicinal purposes and research. Under Thailand's current drug laws, recreational users of cannabis can incur tough penalties, including up to 10 years in prison for possession and hefty fines. A senior lawmaker in the Bhumjaithai Party, third-largest partner in the coalition and in charge of the health ministry, said the draft law would allow up to six marijuana plants per household. Cannabis is still a drug under Thai law. "The principle is for medical use, you can have it at home for ailments, but not smoke it on the street," Supachai Jaisamut said.

Almost 10,000 people have registered with public health agencies to be eligible for the amnesty over marijuana possession, says the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA set the deadline for the registration as May 21. FDA secretary-general Thares Karasnairaviwong said that as the deadline draws nearer, more people have turned out to register, prompting the Public Health Ministry to add places for registration, including allocating officials to work on registration during the weekend. He warned the registration is open only for those in possession of marijuana for medical purposes. “This does not mean to give permission for individuals to grow marijuana plants,” Dr Thares told the media. (See also: Medical cannabis moving ahead in Thailand, but who stands to benefit?)