Thailand decriminalize cannabis last Thursday, becoming the first country in Asia to remove the ban on the drug.
But, according to CNN, Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that those who use the drug for recreational purposes will face punishments.
The public, as well as visitors to Thailand, should be aware of the harsh penalties the country provides under the Public Health Act, Charnvirakul said.
Those caught using cannabis illegally face a three-month jail sentence and an $800.00 fine. Tourists, -in particular-, have been warned that smoking joints in public will result in the following consequences:
“If tourists come for medical treatment or come for health-related products then it’s not an issue”, the Health Minister said, “but if you think that you want to come to Thailand just because you heard that cannabis or marijuana is legal, or come to Thailand to smoke joints freely, that’s wrong‘. “Don’t come. We won’t welcome you if you just come to this country for that purpose.”
“There has never once been a moment that we would think about advocating people to use cannabis in terms of recreation — or use it in a way that it could irritate others,” he added.
After the new decriminalization, it is no longer illegal to produce and trade marijuana and hemp products or to use components of the plant to treat diseases.
Cafés and restaurants can serve cannabis-infused food and drinks, but only if the goods contain less than 0.2 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient.
The world community praised the decision despite the significant restrictions. After all, Southeast Asia has some of the strictest laws against drugs in the world.
Now that the ban has been lifted, Thai authorities estimate that the local cannabis market is worth more than $2 billion.
In fact, Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture plans to distribute about 1 million cannabis plants to Thai households for free, which obviously encourages people to get involved.
Businesses and entrepreneurs must still register with the government to obtain a permit to grow cannabis and sell cannabis-derived products.