Growing Weed At Home In Thailand Just Became Legal

Thailand is quickly on its way to taking advantage of the “cash crop” by allowing individuals to grow the plant inside their homes, but there are still a few laws in place regarding how to use said cannabis and how much one can grow. 

The country’s narcotics board recently decided to reform the 1979 Narcotics Act to remove cannabis from its list just after New Year’s Day. With the recent approval, individuals are now legally allowed to grow cannabis plants in their homes but must run it by their local government first, or they could pay a costly fee. 

According to ABC News, the cannabis grown at home cannot be sold whatsoever or be used for commercial matters without having the correct licensing. With the new law in place, there’s still the lingering question on everyone’s mind, does this mean recreational cannabis is legal, and will individuals face offenses and arrests when using the plant?

That answer is a little more complicated. Until the Thai government makes more transparent rules, production and possession of marijuana seem to be okay thanks to the new loophole, removing cannabis as a listed narcotic. However, individuals growing cannabis at home have been told by Food & Drug Regulator Chief Paisal Dankhum that these plants should be used for medical purposes.

To ensure the public abides by the laws, they must notify the Thai government when planning to grow cannabis at home, followed by random inspections in the future. If individuals fail to notify the government, they’re faced with a fine of 20,000 baht ($850). Furthermore, if people choose to sell their homegrown weed, they can face three years in jail and/or a fine of 300,000 baht ($12,700).

Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize cannabis for medical use and research in December 2018. It was a long-awaited move seeing that marijuana has been used for centuries in the region as traditional medicine for pain relief and anti-inflammation. 

Today, according to the World Bank, roughly a third of Thailand’s labor forces work in cannabis agriculture due to the increase in demand for hemp and CBD products, which are legal under the 2018 law to legalize medical cannabis.