Asia, as a whole, has historically employed some of the stringent cannabis policies in the world. In some places, simply getting caught with the plant can result in the death penalty—certainly not what you would expect to occur while Western Civilization is ushering in a whole new era of legal cannabis.
However, it appears that one country in Eastern Asia is looking to change their narrative when it comes to pot.
Thailand, a country notorious for its no-nonsense weed policies, especially when it comes to tourists, is toying with the idea of implementing its own medical marijuana program.
In order to do that, however, they will have to further research the plant itself—and they’ve made the inaugural step in making that happen.
According to a report by the Associated Press, Thai police have given their government 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds, of high-potency marijuana for research purposes.
The country’s chairman of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, Sophon Mekthon, says researchers requested the highest quality of pot because they ultimately had medicinal marijuana in mind. However, Mekthon said the qualities somewhat vary, as researchers are still getting a feel for which strains are best suited for certain ailments.
“The Government Pharmaceutical Organization intends to use marijuana, which is a plant that grows well in Thailand, for medical research and to develop it into medical marijuana extract and other pharmaceutical products of standardized quality,” Mekthon said.
The marijuana handed over to the government is product confiscated from police. Cannabis still remains illegal, not only to consume, but for testing purposes as well, making the endeavor somewhat precarious for researchers.
While it’s unlikely law will change under the current military government, Thailand could potentially see a provisional clause that will temporarily allow for