Thailand Wants to Have Its (Hash) Cake and Eat It Too

Country will lead the way in Asia to legalize medical cannabis
Thailand eyeing a piece of the global medical cannabis market

Thailand could become the first Asian nation to legalize medical marijuana. Bloomberg’s Natnicha Chuwiruch explains.(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Prim Chuwiruch

July 16, 2018 at 9:00 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Thailand, known for its tough policies against drug trafficking, is taking a page from Canada and other countries and is seeking to lead the way in Asia in legalizing medical marijuana.

The reason? It’s largely economic. Thailand, which in the 1980s was one of the world’s top exporters of cannabis, wants to reap the rewards of the $10 billion-dollar-plus marijuana market. As more countries embrace the medicinal qualities of cannabis, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization -- under the Ministry of Public Health -- is trying to persuade the military government to approve studying the drug so it can market it for medical use.