Hemp growing initially to be limited to govt
Only government agencies will be able to seek permission to grow, sell and possess hemp – which is now classified as a type of narcotic – during the first phase of an initiative to legalise cultivation of the plant. Individuals and private entities will be barred from cultivation until authorities determine whether legalisation will deliver the intended benefits and prevent adverse impacts. “After the ministerial regulation on hemp growing appears in the Royal Gazette, permits will be granted only to government agencies during the first three years,” Office of the Narcotics Control Board secretary-general Sirinya Sittichai said on December 29. Proposed by the Public Health Ministry, the regulation aims at developing hemp products. The Cabinet approved the bill on September 6, and it is now in the process of being announced in the Royal Gazette. “The regulation will take effect 360 days after the promulgation,” Sirinya said.
