Cannabis that contains more than 0.2 percent of the psychoactive component THC is still banned. The goal of the effort is to encourage the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes and to develop a business around it.
Thailand took a step closer to becoming the first Asian country to decriminalize marijuana on Tuesday when its health minister approved a bill removing cannabis from a list of banned substances.
The delisting means that all elements of the cannabis plant, including flowers and seeds, will be legal in Thailand. However, extracted substances containing more than 0.2 percent of the psychoactive element that causes a “high” — tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — will remain prohibited.
At a signing ceremony, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that he aimed to create a “new history for cannabis” in Thailand by removing the stigma associated with marijuana.
