THE kingdom launched a campaign to give away a million free cannabis plants, a day after decriminalising its growth for commercial purposes, but discouraged people from getting high and warned they could still fall foul of the law.
Thailand legalised medicinal marijuana in 2018 for medical use but is now banking on developing it as a cash crop and building a lucrative local industry.
“Don’t use it and sit smiling at home and not get any work done. Those things are not our policies,” Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at the launch in Buriram province on Friday, where the first 1,000 plants were being distributed.
“We have erased the stigma, it’s being washed away like removing a tattoo. Don’t let it come back,” he said, adding that cannabis should be used to improve health.
On Thursday, cannabis was delisted from the country’s narcotics list, allowing people to grow the plant if they register on a government app.
Authorities are however discouraging its recreational use, while smoking in public could lead to prison and fines.
The psychoactive compound in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is limited to 0.2% in cannabis extracts and products that can be sold in Thailand, which include oils and candy. — Reuters
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