This week saw Thailand become the first country in Asia to remove cannabis from its list of banned substances paving the way for people to grow the plant at home.
Under new rules announced earlier this year, those wanting to grow cannabis commercially will need a licence.
But home grow will be allowed for medical purposes, and for use in the production of food and cosmetics, as long as it contains only trace amounts of THC and the local government is notified.
Last month, health minister and deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the government was giving away one million cannabis plants to households throughout the country to celebrate the change.
Alongside a photo of cooked chicken seasoned with cannabis posted on Facebook, he wrote: “It is an opportunity for people and the state to earn income from marijuana and hemp. Roasted marijuana chicken, 300 baht per piece. Anyone can sell it if they obey the law.
“This is the future of Thai cannabis.”
And the Department of Corrections has said around 4,000 people in prison for cannabis-related crimes will soon be released and have their criminal records for those offences expunged.
