Nation plans to offer free marijuana plants

Thailand has said it plans to give away 1 million cannabis plants to households across the nation, in an effort to generate enthusiasm for a law taking effect next month that will allow residents to grow weed for their personal medicinal use or as a small-scale commercial enterprise.

The project, announced by the country’s health minister this week, is the latest move in Thailand’s effort to position itself as a leader in Asia’s nascent cannabis industry, coming as the United States and other major economies are liberalizing laws on marijuana amid growing evidence of its medical benefits.

Industry analysts say the moves could help lure more international visitors to Thailand and strengthen medical tourism, in a country where a sprawling tourism sector accounted for as much as one-fifth of the pre-COVID-19 economy.

But don’t expect California-style cannabis retailers on your next trip to Thailand. Under current law, the recreational use of potent marijuana is still forbidden, and tourists convicted of possessing the drug can face up to 15 years in prison.

Thailand’s campaign started with a 2019 law that allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes, a first for Southeast Asia. The rules now allow for the sale of cannabis with a low percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, weed’s main psychoactive compound.