The Narcotics Control Committee agreed today (Thursday) to decriminalise the use of all parts of and extracts from cannabis and hemp in Thailand by removing the plants from the Category 5 list of narcotics, paving the way for households to be able to grow them. A draft announcement from the Ministry of Public Health, approved today, will be submitted to the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) for approval.
Although derivatives of cannabis and hemp were removed from Category 5 in the amended Narcotics law, promulgated on December 9th, the plants themselves remained on the Ministry of Public Health’s list, leading to widespread confusion.
The only exception to the decriminalisation is for cannabis extracts with a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content exceeding 0.2% by weight.
The draft ministerial announcement will be submitted to the ONCB on January 25th for approval, before Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signs it off.
