Businesses are cashing in with cannabis-infused products like toothpaste, tea, soaps and snacks after the government decriminalized the plant and its extracts, generating a wave of interest in the drug.
Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize marijuana in 2018 for medical use and research.
Last month, the nation decriminalized the entire plant. Dropping cannabis from its narcotics list has led to an explosion of commercial opportunities.
Officially, commercial products approved by the food and drug regulator can contain cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical in cannabis that does not make users high.
However, the regulator limits the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive ingredient – in any cannabis product to just 0.2%.
Thailand has a long history of using cannabis in traditional medicine to relieve aches and pains, with innovators now coming up with new ideas such as toothpaste and desserts.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the main driver behind the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, estimates that the industry could be worth more than US$3 billion within five years. (NNT)
 |
 |
 |
