Thailand Revises Cannabis Rules While Awaiting Delayed New Bill

Thailand has slightly revised rules on the sale and use of cannabis as a “controlled herb,” while awaiting a controversial bill on the plant that has been delayed due to criticism from lawmakers concerned about recreational drug use.

The government in June became the first in Asia to decriminalize use of cannabis, but designated the plant as a controlled herb and banned sales of all parts of the plant to people under the age of 20 and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. The revised rules announced late Friday in a Health Ministry notice say that only cannabis buds -- the flowers that contain the main concentrations of cannabinoid drugs -- will be considered a controlled herb.