Staff have a cannabis plant in the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) Medical Marijuana Greenhouse on the outskirts of Chon Buri, south of Bangkok, on October 8, 2020. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP )
Thailand’s Lower House Scrutiny Committee on Cannabis and Hemp Law has decided to set a limit of 10 on the number of cannabis plants that can be grown for domestic use and the size of the land where cannabis can be grown. for commercial purposes for children. , medium and large companies, according to Panthep Puapongpan, spokesman for the committee.
The decision will be debated and voted on in the lower house in its second and third readings, as the bill approves the first reading on June 8. The bill legalizes the controlled use, sale, import and export of cannabis, plants and their extracts. but it did not specify how many cannabis or hemp plants an individual can grow.
Panthep explained that small businesses have an area of no more than 0.8 hectares for cannabis cultivation, medium-sized companies with an area of no more than 3.2 hectares and large companies that cultivate more than 3.2 hectares. . However, there are no limits on the number of cannabis plants that can be grown for commercial purposes on this land.
Since the announcement by the Ministry of Public Health, removing cannabis and hemp from the list of category 5 narcotics, came into force on June 9th.thmore than 800,000 people have signed up to grow the plants, on the understanding that there is no limit to the number of plants they can grow.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also said at the time that there are no limits on the number of cannabis or hemp plants a home can grow, but that they cannot be used for recreational purposes.
He said that according to the House scrutiny committee, medium and large companies will have to pay more to the state as they are expected to generate more revenue from the cultivation and production of cannabis, compared to companies smaller ones, which will charge the lowest or no taxes.
For medical facilities, which want to grow cannabis for medical purposes, each facility will be able to grow the plants in a maximum of 0.8 hectares.
The House scrutiny committee has 15 days to complete the verification of the bill, after which it will return to the House of Commons for a second and final reading.
The bill was initiated by Bhumjaithai, the second largest government party. The party considers the decriminalization of cannabis and hemp, for medical and economic purposes, a political priority.
