Thailand legislature approves use of medical marijuana

Thailand's legislature has agreed to amend the country's drug law to allow the licensed medical use of cannabis, as well as kratom, a locally grown plant traditionally used as a stimulant and painkiller.

The National Legislative Assembly's 166 members voted in favour of the change and there were no votes objecting to the motion. There were 13 members who abstained from the vote.

This makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to allow the use of medical marijuana. The region is notorious for its hardline approach to drugs and strict penalties for drug-related crimes.

The move is under consideration in neighbouring Malaysia, while New Zealand's government earlier this month enacted a law liberalizing the medical use of cannabis, which had previously been tightly restricted.

"This is a New Year's gift from the National Legislative Assembly to the government and the Thai people,” said Somchai Sawangkarn, chairperson of the drafting committee, in a televised parliamentary session.

The changes, which become law when published in the Royal Gazette, legalize the production, import, export, possession, and use of cannabis and kratom products for medical purposes.

Purveyors, producers, and researchers will need licenses to handle the drugs, while end-users will need prescriptions.

Recreational use of the drugs remains illegal in Thailand and subject to prison terms and fines commensurate with the quantities involved.

Public hearings showed overwhelming support for the measure.

The bill introducing the legislative changes had noted that recent studies have shown that cannabis extract has medicinal benefits, which has prompted "many countries around the world to ease their laws by enacting legal amendments to allow their citizens to legally use kratom and marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes".

It added that despite being classified as an illegal drug, many patients have used cannabis to treat their diseases.