Thailand decriminalizes marijuana, but it could take place

BANGKOK — Thailand was the first country in Asia to approve the decriminalization of marijuana, though authorities have left a grey area around its recreational use.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the Narcotics Control Board has approved the removal of cannabis from the ministry's list of controlled drugs.

The delisting by the ministry s Food and Drug Administration will now have to be signed by the health minister and will take effect 120 days after it is published in the government gazette. It follows the removal of cannabis, a plant species that both marijuana and hemp belong to, from the list of illegal drugs under Thailand's Narcotics Law.

The police and lawyers contacted by The Associated Press said it was not clear if possession of marijuana would no longer be an offense subject to arrest. The legal status of recreational marijuana use in a grey area is left due to a tangle of laws that make the production and possession of marijuana regulated for the time being.

The Health Ministry measure retains parts of the cannabis plant that contain more than 0.2% by weight of THC, the psychoactive ingredient that gives users a high.

Thailand became the first Asian nation to decriminalize the production and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2020.

Under changes made in 2020, most parts of the cannabis plant were dropped from the Category 5 list of controlled drugs, but seeds and buds, which are associated with recreational use, were retained. The proposal now being implemented by the FDA removes all parts of the plant from the list.

Health Minister Anutin has been the driving force behind the decriminalization of marijuana. He is a leader of the Bhumjai Thai Party, a major partner in the country's coalition government, and campaigned in the 2019 general election for legalization of marijuana production to aid farmers. The latest measure is seen as helping to promote cannabis products as a major industry in Thailand.

Anutin said last week that the FDA s delisting is a response to the government s urgent policy in developing marijuana and hemp for medical and health care benefits, developing technology and creating income for the public. He said on Wednesday that he will propose a draft Cannabis Act in Parliament to clarify the legal status of marijuana.