Public Health Minister says cannabis is a step closer to becoming a cash crop

Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he wants to make cannabis a cash crop… just not the parts of the plant that get you high. Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as the deputy prime minister, made a visit to a cannabis learning centre in the northeastern province Bueng Kan, which borders Laos, and posted photos on Facebook of himself walking through a cannabis greenhouse.

Anutin has been a vocal supporter of cannabis when it comes to the CBD, or cannabidiol, the relaxing and said to be medicinal component of the plant, but has stayed fairly quiet on actions to take regarding the psychoactive component, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol.

Parts of the cannabis plant – except the high-inducing, THC-rich buds – were removed from Thailand’s narcotics list in December of last year. Since then, numerous Thai cafes and eateries have started offering drinks and snacks made with cannabis, which has been popular among Thais. According to Nation Thailand, Anutin says this is a step toward making cannabis a cash crop.

“We are opening a wide field to allow the use of marijuana, but it must be done as per established rules and criteria.”