Thailand residents looking to use medical marijuana are being encouraged to do so according to guidelines established by recent amendments to the kingdom’s drug laws which legalized medicinal cannabis.
“If you need marijuana for your illness, visit a doctor for a proper diagnosis or a prescription,” said ONCB secretary-general Niyom Termsrisuk recently.
Cannabis possession is still punishable by jail time in Thailand if a person is not certified to use it medicinally.
The new law legalized medicinal cannabis, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires licenses for all cultivation and production.
“The amended narcotics law does not permit unrestricted planting of cannabis,” said FDA secretary-general Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong. “The law clearly states that marijuana cultivation must be for medical purposes, so permission will not be given for planting it for other purposes or for smoking.”
New regulations to grant amnesty to people in possession of cannabis are expected this week, according to the FDA.
The FDA will be submitting three draft ministerial regulations on marijuana possession amnesty for Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn to endorse. The new regulations are expected to be announced in the Royal Gazette this week before going into effect.
Amnesty would cover organizations, medical researchers, patients, and all others using or possessing cannabis but they must report within 90 days after the announcements become effective.
