Narcotics Control Board clarifies cannabis laws after Health Minister’s statements

While Thailand’s pro-cannabis Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, just insisted to Thai media that cannabis is not narcotic and even asked authorities to let residents grow and sell cannabis as it is another way for people to earn more income, the Narcotics Control Board just held a press conference yesterday saying that yes, it is still a narcotic. And only Thai citizens who have permission from the government can grow cannabis, as long as it has low traces of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

In the video press briefing, authorities from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board said that cannabis with traces of THC over 0.2% are still classified as a narcotic under Narcotics Control Act. The non-psychoactive component cannabidiol, or CBD, which is known to have medicinal properties, is legal, and many cafes have popped up in Thailand over the…