Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has proposed individual farmers be allowed to grow cannabis plants under a joint scheme with the state.
Mr Anutin, who is also deputy prime minister, said he has signed a draft regulation which will be examined by the Council of State and then submitted to the cabinet for consideration.
The proposed regulation seeks to allow individual farmers to gain permission to grow cannabis plants for medical purposes but the farming will have to be a joint scheme with an authorised state agency, he said yesterday. Permission to grow cannabis will be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration.
According to Mr Anutin, it is a revision of the original draft which allows growing of cannabis plants in the form of a community enterprise only.
"When it takes effect, those who want to grow cannabis can register as farmers and work with a state hospital in growing the plant," he said.
He said the the Bhumjaithai Party's campaign policy to allow people to grow cannabis plants at home has yet to be examined by the House of Representatives. He said the party is seeking amendments to the Narcotics Act to allow each household to grow a maximum of six cannabis plants.