Last updated on September 26th, 2023 at 08:31 am
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha appeared at a launch for the government’s medical cannabis education website.
Prayut reportedly took a few hits from a cannabis vaporizer pen and rubbed marijuana oil behind his ears in front of news media.
The PM also appeared in photos with Dr. Ganja, the mascot for the new website.
The government hopes the website will educate people on the potential benefits of medical marijuana and is part of an overall marketing campaign around the plant.
“This website will serve as a bridge to link the public to the academic information and facts about the use of cannabis for medical purposes,” Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.
While possession and use of marijuana for recreational purposes still carries a hefty penalty, some of the stiffest in the world, Thailand has been moving forward on the medicinal front with surprising speed.
Since legalization in December 2018, Thailand has begun a program to educate and certify medical practitioners in the proper use of the drug, passed laws allowing patients to grow up to six plants each, created a national strain of cannabis, and has begun research programs at several Thai universities.
However, the government wishes to remain cautious as not everyone is yet convinced of the benefits of medical marijuana in Thailand.
PM Prayut has spoke in the past about the need to be very deliberate in moving medical marijuana forward, yet being very cautious, frequently reminding citizens that they should not self-medicate and should only use marijuana under the direction of a medical practitioner.
Deputy PM, Anutin has spoken frequently about the importance of marijuana to Thailand as a cash crop and as a source of medical tourism. For a country that has recently seen slowing in tourism and exports sectors, marijuana has the potential to become a real savior for the Thai economy.
