As “Ganja Day” approaches on June 9, Thailand’s Ministry of Health wants to be clear about one thing: Smoking cannabis recreationally is a criminal offence punishable by three months imprisonment. Cannabis smoke has been written into new legislation as a “public nuisance,” allowing anyone annoyed by the smell of cannabis smoke to report the culprit, who can go to prison for up to 3 months if found guilty.
On June 9, all parts of cannabis and hemp plants – including leaves, barks, body, fibres, branches, roots, seeds and inflorescences – will be delisted as a Category 5 narcotic, essentially decriminalising possession of marijuana in Thailand. Extracts containing more than 0.2% THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, are still classified as a Category 5 narcotic.
People in Thailand will legally be able to grow as many cannabis and hemp plants as they like at home without seeking permission from June 9. The only requirement will be to register through the “Plook Ganja” mobile application, which is not yet available on the app store. It is not yet clear whether the application will be limited to Thai nationals, or if foreigners residing in the kingdom will be allowed to grow cannabis too.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul previously promised to give away one million cannabis plants to the population of Thailand. But, the law states that homegrown cannabis plants, and any extracts made from them, must have a THC content of less than 0.2%. THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana… AKA the part which gets you high.
If Anutin’s free ganja plants materialise, they will either be male plants which cannot produce THC-rich flowers or hemp plants, which contain no THC, only CBD – cannabidiol – a component which has medicinal properties but certainly doesn’t have psychoactive effects. So if you grow cannabis according to the law, you certainly won’t be getting high off your own supply.
Cannabis is a high-profit cash-crop, and Thailand’s quasi-decriminalisation of the plant is designed to develop the country’s medical tourism industry and benefit the economy, not to turn Thailand into the next Amsterdam.
The Thai government is working on formalising a “Cannabis-Hemp Act” which will provide all details needed about growing and commercialising the crop.
For now, getting “high” in Thailand is still illegal.
SOURCE: Silk Legal