Cannabis no longer a Category 5 narcotic… except for the buds

Caitlin AshworthPublished: 11:16, 16 December 2020| Updated: 22:25, 08 February 2021

223 1 minute read

Cannabis no longer a Category 5 narcotic… except for the buds

PHOTO: Unsplash: Elsa Olofsson

Cannabis plants and extracts are no longer classified as a Category 5 narcotic in Thailand’s Narcotics Act. Don’t spark up a joint just yet… cannabis buds containing high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which causes the euphoric effects, are still illegal.

The leaves, stems, stalks and roots of cannabis as well as hemp have been removed from the narcotics list. (Basically, any part of the cannabis plant except for the THC-rich buds.) The delisting was published in the Royal Gazette yesterday, making it official. Only those approved by the government can cultivate the plant.

The move allows parts of cannabis and hemp plants to be used for medical purposes as well as for other uses in textile and cosmetics industries.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, extracts are allowed, as long it contains no more than 0.2% THC. CBD is said to have relaxing effects and other health benefits.

SOURCE: Pattaya News

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Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin Ashworth is a writer from the United States who has lived in Thailand since 2018. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies in 2016. She was a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette In Massachusetts. She also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida.