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Thai Political Party Promotes Cannabis Cultivation

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]B[/dropcap]illionaire and political leader Anutin Charnvirakul and his Bhumjaithai (Proud to Be Thai) party are among the first Thai leaders to adopt cannabis cultivation as part of their political platform. Thailand legalized cannabis and kratom for medical uses on Christmas Day in 2018, but possession of larger quantities still carries a death sentence.

The perception of cannabis in Thailand is rapidly changing, and it’s no different among the country’s leaders. “We know that marijuana doesn’t have any negative effects when somebody consumes it, apart from getting sleepy,” Charnvirakul told Reuters. “When we weigh the pros and cons of freeing up this product, we decided to give full support.”

March 24 marks the country’s first general election since a coup that took place in 2014. The Bhumjaithai party also is promoting a four-day work week and legalizing ride-share taxi services. Charnvirakul said he likes the California model for a medical cannabis system in which growers are registered and six cannabis plants are permitted per household.

The sale and distribution of cannabis would be regulated similar to the tobacco industry in Thailand, where farmers sell their harvest through a government agency, according to the political party

“Marijuana will be able to generate additional income to farmers because overseas – the price is as high as 70,000 baht ($2,230) per kg,” the party’s website explains. Before the country legalized the medical uses of the plant,

Chokwan Kitty Chopaka, a spokeswoman for Highland Network, a cannabis informational Thai group, said that growing cannabis in Thailand would be a challenge because they would have to compete with mature markets in Canada or the U.S.

Thailand is making drastic strides for a country that normally takes a draconian approach to drug laws. Cannabis was used traditionally as a medicine and food before being banned in the country in 1934.

 

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