Thailand removes hemp from list of controlled substances

The Thai Government today passed a resolution allowing the use of parts of the cannabis plant in food and cosmetics. THE Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized the draft regulation that will remove hemp from the list of narcotics in Thailand, said the permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health.

A Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) delivered today the new regulation, concerning the use of hemp in the food and cosmetics industry, to the Minister of Public Health. The document will be signed and will enter into force when it is published by the body responsible for publishing the legislation, the Royal gazette.

The Permanent Secretary of Thai Public Health, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, already had explained last wednesday that the country's Narcotics Control Board has decided to exclude hemp plants from the government's list of controlled substances. The diploma allows the extraction of oil when the THC content does not exceed the threshold of 0,2%. However, flowers are not considered for the purposes of the proposed regulation.

In this way, the parts of the plant allowed in the food and cosmetics areas are:

• Barks, stems, stalks, fibers and roots;
• Leaves without flowers;
• CBD-based extracts with less than 0,2% THC;
• Hemp seeds and oil extracted from the seed;

Kiatphum Wongrajit further stated that this unlock is not intended to allow people to plant at home. “Permission must be sought from the FDA, which clearly states the purpose of the request,” reiterating that the legal advance does not mean allowing recreational use.

FDA Secretary General Paisal Dunkhum stated that the project is aimed at the use of cannabis and hemp for personal and health use, for the production of fabrics, clothes, medicines and other products based on the plant. Asked whether people will be allowed to grow cannabis for these purposes, Paisal explained that these regulations only cover people and companies with permission to grow cannabis or hemp.

Thailand has used cannabis as a spice and home remedy for centuries. But it was not until 2019 that medical cannabis legislation was passed, making it the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. It is now updating its legislation to adapt to international trends in the regulation of the hemp industry, and is considered by the Thai government to be a cash crop.