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Thailand Clears Final Hurdle in Allowing Wider Use of Marijuana

Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical marijuana. — Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical marijuana.
Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

By

Randy Thanthong-Knight

January 25, 2022, 10:49 AM UTC

Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board agreed to remove marijuana from the country’s list of controlled substances, paving the way for the decriminalization and recreational use of some parts of the plant.

The decision on Tuesday followed Health Ministry’s recommendations last week that marijuana be removed from the list. Deputy Premier and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, whose political party ran a campaign to legalize cannabis ahead of the 2019 elections, is soon expected to sign it into a law.