Thailand is a regional leader when it comes to medical cannabis policy. It was the first country in the entire region to legalize medical marijuana.

This doesn’t seem like a big deal since it was only a few years ago. However, given that Thailand is located in an area that is home to some of the toughest cannabis laws on the planet, that’s a pretty big deal.

More than half of the countries where marijuana has a possible death penalty are located in the same region as Thailand.

earlier this year Legalization in Thailand Across the country, there is a maximum of six plants per household (which is still not the case in many other countries on other continents).

Embrace cannabis research

The cannabis plant is difficult to study in many countries around the world, including the United States.

Cannabis prohibition policies in some countries have made research nearly impossible, or at least hampered to the point of non-existence.

Thailand is not one of these countries.In fact, cannabis research is now so popular in Thailand that the government recently announced the creation of a International Cannabis Research Center.

According to a government press release, “Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with RxLeaf World Medica for the establishment of an international medical cannabis research center. The latest move is part of Thailand’s plan to become a world-class cannabis production and development center.”

“The center aims to be a knowledge hub for medical cannabis genetic research, bringing together doctors, researchers, experts from Canada, the Netherlands and other countries to develop cannabis products, while exchanging medical cannabis knowledge,” the release added.

government loan farming

The news from the International Cannabis Research Center comes after the government separately announced that the Thai government would issue loans to facilitate domestic cultivation.

Bank of Thailand Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is offering loans to aspiring cannabis growers starting September 2021.

In February 2021, Thailand’s deputy spokesperson, Traisulee Traisoranakul, told international media that “everyone has the right to grow cannabis for medical use by collaborating with provincial hospitals.”

A government loan scheme will provide financial assistance to Thai farmers who are looking for alternative crops for rice, cassava and rubber trees. Government-backed marijuana loans have an annual interest rate of just 0.01% for the first three years.