Thai farmers yesterday welcomed a new law allowing cultivation and use of marijuana for medical purposes, in an Asian first that promises an economic bonanza, but also fears that foreign companies could reap the rewards.
The Thai National Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill legalizing the use of marijuana and kratom — a traditional herb — for research and medical use. The move is a significant step for a region that levies harsh sentences for drug violations. It would also allow for the production, import and export of marijuana.
The bill, which still outlaws recreational use and has strict limits on the amount an individual can carry, requires royal assent to come into law, National Assembly member Jet Sirathronont said.
The National Farmers Council of Thailand praised the law as providing a “new economic crop” to help farmers diversify their production.
“I expect Thailand can make 100 billion baht a year [US$3.07 billion] from growing cannabis, and selling the raw material and cannabis oil,” council chairman Prapat Panyachartrak said.
However, some fear foreign companies and pharmaceutical giants are in a position to scoop up valuable patents to produce the medical cannabis and extracts.
Those holding the patents could stop Thai universities and government agencies from conducting research, said Witoon Liamchamroon, director of BioThai, a network of agricultural advocates, farmers and academics.
The Thai Ministry of Commerce had promised to “revoke” the petitions of foreign companies, he said, “but so far, we checked and there are no revocations.”
Long-time cannabis activist Buntoon Niyamabhra called on the government to cancel patent applications from foreign multinationals.
“Otherwise, Thai people will not get any benefits ... as the patent law is retroactive once the new law takes effect,” he said.
Thailand has a long history with cannabis.
Marijuana was once classified as a traditional herb before it was recategorized as a narcotic in the 1970s — which prohibited its production, consumption, sale and possession.
It remains readily available, despite high penalties for those caught smoking it.
An endangered baby pygmy hippopotamus that shot to social media stardom in Thailand has become a lucrative source of income for her home zoo, quadrupling its ticket sales, the institution said Thursday. Moo Deng, whose name in Thai means “bouncy pork,” has drawn tens of thousands of visitors to Khao Kheow Open Zoo this month. The two-month-old pygmy hippo went viral on TikTok and Instagram for her cheeky antics, inspiring merchandise, memes and even craft tutorials on how to make crocheted or cake-based Moo Dengs at home. A zoo spokesperson said that ticket sales from the start of September to Wednesday reached almost
‘BARBAROUS ACTS’: The captain of the fishing vessel said that people in checkered clothes beat them with iron bars and that he fell unconscious for about an hour Ten Vietnamese fishers were violently robbed in the South China Sea, state media reported yesterday, with an official saying the attackers came from Chinese-flagged vessels. The men were reportedly beaten with iron bars and robbed of thousands of dollars of fish and equipment on Sunday off the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島), which Taiwan claims, as do Vietnam, China, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. Vietnamese media did not identify the nationalities of the attackers, but Phung Ba Vuong, an official in central Quang Ngai province, told reporters: “They were Chinese, [the boats had] Chinese flags.” Four of the 10-man Vietnamese crew were rushed
CHINESE ICBM: The missile landed near the EEZ of French Polynesia, much to the surprise and concern of the president, who sent a letter of protest to Beijing Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere called for “respect for our region” and a stop to missile tests in the Pacific Ocean, after China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Katonivere recalled the Pacific Ocean’s history as a nuclear weapons testing ground, and noted Wednesday’s rare launch by China of an ICBM. “There was a unilateral test firing of a ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. We urge respect for our region and call for cessation of such action,” he said. The ICBM, carrying a dummy warhead, was launched by the
As violence between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, Iran is walking a tightrope by supporting Hezbollah without being dragged into a full-blown conflict and playing into its enemy’s hands. With a focus on easing its isolation and reviving its battered economy, Iran is aware that war could complicate efforts to secure relief from crippling sanctions. Cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year, has intensified, especially after last week’s sabotage on Hezbollah’s communications that killed 39 people. Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon followed, killing hundreds. Hezbollah retaliated with rocket barrages. Despite the surge in
RSS