Downscheduling will boost Thai hemp

Thailand’s Narotics Control Board voted to remove cannabis from the country’s list of Category 5 drugs, opening the way for the use of leaves, stems and roots of hemp and marijuana plants. Only government agencies and community enterprises aligned with the government can grow cannabis, under permission from the Thai Food & Drug Administraton (FDA). The changes pave the way for more access to cannabis for medicinal use and opens the market for marijuana, textiles and cosmetics, the government said. Under the government’s plan, hemp is to be promoted as a new cash crop. The FDA is now to propose specific industry regulations that will go into effect after publication in the government’s Royal Gazette.