Proposed Law: Thais Can Grow Six Cannabis Plants Per Househould

A new law to democratize and decriminalize marijuana has been introduced in Thailand’s legislature.

If passed, the law would allow every Thai household to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal, private use.

The bill was drafted by the Bhumjaithai party, who won the fifth most seats in Thailand’s new parliament after making marijuana legalization a key pillar of their campaign.

Bhumjaithai promised on the campaign trail that they would push for a law that allows each Thai family to grow six cannabis plants in their homes.

“The principle is for medical use, you can have it at home for ailments, but not smoke it on the street,” said Bhumjaithai MP Supachai Jaisamut.

On top of giving Thais the freedom to use cannabis inside their homes, the proposed legislation also wants to give everyday Thais access to some of the profits of the burgeoning marijuana business in Thailand.

Bhumjaithai is afraid that pharmaceutical companies and large-scale growing operations will take home all the loot.

Under the law, Thais would be able to grow the marijuana plants and then either use them themselves or sell them to the government who would then extract the cannabis in a lab.

Even though Thailand legalized marijuana for medical use late last year, using weed for recreational purposes can still lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years, large fines, or–if you’re a foreigner caught with weed–being blacklisted from the country.

The law would also establish a Plant-based Drug Institute with the authority to purchase, extract and export cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana and hemp plants.

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