The Public Health Ministry insisted yesterday that Thai sweets cooked with marijuana as an ingredient may be produced and sold elsewhere but only in countries where the use of marijuana is legal only for medical purposes.
"The 2019 Narcotics Act only allows cannabis to be used strictly for medical purposes. Thailand is the very first country in this region to give a green light to that."
"It may be fine to make recreational use of marijuana legal, however, that will be in the distant future, many, many years from now," said Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn.
He was responding to questions about a Thai living in the US who yesterday announced her intention to develop new formulas for cooking Thai desserts with marijuana as an ingredient.
Gamhom Nalanchang, who represented the American Naturopathic Medical Association at an academic forum held by the Ramkhamhaeng University yesterday, revealed her plan to add marijuana to some Thai sweets and sell them in countries where recreational use of marijuana is legal.
The products, being developed by a Thai pastry chef and planned to be launched in August, will be produced and sold in the US where 30 states allow the sale of marijuana, according to her.
Pre-orders have already been placed for the products which will be distributed by her business partners who are hotel operators in Las Vegas and Florida, she said.
The idea is to not simply add marijuana to sweets. A precise measure of marijuana is needed as the cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- two natural compounds found in marijuana -- are required to be shown on product labels, she said.
