The Thai government removed some parts of hemp from the control list, and the released features included the leaves, fibres, roots, and stems of hemp.
Thailand has loosened regulations on cannabis, which people can use for medical treatment. Certain parts of cannabis can even be mixed into food, beverages, or cosmetics, attracting interested people to try it. Thailand hopes to establish a cannabis industry chain, and at the same time, promote tourism and promote the development of Thailand's economy.
420 Cannabis Bar in Bangkok is the first beverage store in Thailand that mixes CBD with flavoured drinks. The first store of 420 Cannabis Bar is hidden in the alleys of Bangkok. However, customers who try new things are in an endless stream. We went to interview early in the morning. During open hours, customers are constantly coming in and out, and delivery staff are waiting to pick up drinks.
One of the partners, Yada Gomez, said in an interview that they had started applying for a store where cannabis was mixed into beverages very early. The procedures were quite complicated, but she and other partners saw the business opportunities and believed they would. There is a high output value, and the market will grow gradually.
420 Cannabis Bar's drink list has a variety of cannabis-based flavoured drinks. Yada said that their drinks contain cannabidiol (CBD), and the purpose is not to make people high but to relax. As a result, after the store opened, customers responded the experience was beyond their imagination. Because the business was so good, the management team quickly opened several branches in Bangkok.
Customer Don especially drove over from Samut Prakan in the outskirts of Bangkok with her company colleagues to try the drink. She read the message of this shop on the Internet. She found it very interesting because now hemp-related products are popular in the beverage market, and everyone is talking about it. Cannabis has been used in medicine for a long time, and some developed countries have also approved its use. She believes that it will help Thailand's economic development.
Cannabis is classified as a drug in many countries, but cannabis also has a medical effect. It can relax people. Patients can also use it to relieve symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, and neuralgia. This traditionally uses cannabis for food. In 2019, the government's Narcotics Act was amended, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize cannabis for medical use. However, cannabis for recreational use is still banned.
420 Cannabis Bar in Bangkok is the first beverage shop in Thailand that incorporates cannabis into beverages. The shop specifically banned customers from smoking cannabis in the shop.
Government departments, private educational institutions approved by government departments, and farmers can grow medicinal cannabis. Patients can use medical cannabis for research and treatment of patients. However, farmers cannot apply as individuals and must establish community-based cannabis. According to the statistics of the Thai government, as of March this year, more than 100 community-based enterprises have applied for planting.
The government will further loosen regulations on medical cannabis in 2021, allowing doctors, patients, and practitioners of traditional therapies to also apply for the cultivation of medical cannabis and allowing medical product manufacturers to export their products in the future, hoping Thailand to be in the international medical market.
The Ministry of Public Health also announced the removal of certain parts of cannabis from the control list in 2021. Because the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contained in cannabis is psychoactive, cannabidiol (CBD) will make people relax because the high THC content in flowers and buds is still on the control list. The released parts include the leaves, fibres, roots, and stems of cannabis.
While loosening regulations, cannabis is not limited to medical use. In February 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved that people can use the legal part of cannabis in beverages, bakeries, snacks, skincare products, and cosmetics products. The new regulation is expected to bring new life to the Thai economy.
