Thailand legalizes medical marijuana, Kratom
Thailand has approved the use of cannabis and Kratom for medicinal purposes. Possession of larger quantities and/or trafficking of the plants are still subject to heavy penalties.
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved legalization by a parliamentary vote of 166-0, with 13 abstentions.
Over the course of the last few years, public hearings demonstrated overwhelming support for the legislation, which amended the Narcotic Act of 1979 in an extra-parliamentary session.
Somchai Sawangkarn, chairman of the committee that drafted the legislation, proclaimed, “This is a New Year’s gift from the National Legislative Assembly to the government and the Thai people.” (Reported by Reuters.)
The reversal is especially newsworthy considering Thailand was formerly part of a group of South East Asian nations with some the world’s harshest punishments for drug law violations. Marijuana traffickers remain subject to the death penalty in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.