Thailand has introduced a new cannabis bill to regulate the country's booming cannabis industry, marking the latest step in its ongoing efforts to steer cannabis use toward medical and health-related purposes.
This move comes after a series of policy shifts and follows the 2022 decriminalization of the plant, which made Thailand the first country in Asia to take such action.
The new draft bill, published earlier this week by the Ministry of Public Health, is seen as a more measured approach than previous proposals, Bloomberg reported. It arrived just days after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's administration took office. The legislation allows cannabis and its extracts to be used for medical treatment and research by state agencies, while also approving its use in herbal remedies, food products, and cosmetics.
One key aspect of the bill is its omission of a clause that explicitly outlaws recreational cannabis use, which was part of an earlier draft under former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
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