Thailand's narcotics board is removing cannabis from its drugs list, paving the way for households to grow the plant.
Under the new rule, people can grow marijuana plants at home after notifying their local government, but the cannabis cannot be used for commercial purposes without further licences, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters on Tuesday.
The rule must be published in the official Royal Gazette and 120 days must pass before home cannabis plants will become legal.
Police and lawyers contacted by The Associated Press said it was unclear if possession of marijuana would no longer be an offence subject to arrest.
A tangle of related laws means that production and possession of marijuana remains regulated for the time being, leaving the legal status of recreational marijuana use in a grey area.
The government is expected to propose in Parliament a draft Cannabis Act on Wednesday to clarify the drug's legal status.
Food and drug regulator chief Paisal Dankhum has previously said homegrown cannabis should be used for medical purposes like traditional medicine, and there would be random inspections.
The draft bill punishes growth of cannabis without notifying the government with a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($850) and prescribes a fine of up to 300,000 baht ($12,700) or three years in jail, or both, for selling it without a license.
A new approach
The move is the latest step in Thailand's plan to promote cannabis as a cash crop. About a third of its labour force works in agriculture, according to the World Bank.
First outlawed in 1935, marijuana has reportedly been a part of traditional Thai medicine and cooking for centuries, mainly used as a versatile form of pain relief.
Thailand legalised medical marijuana in December 2018, making it the first country in South-East Asia to do so.
The military-dominated parliament voted to amend the 1979 Narcotic Act to approve the use of marijuana for medical use and research, calling it a "New Year's gift" to the Thai people.
Thai drinks and cosmetics companies last year rushed to launch products with hemp and CBD, a compound that does not give users a high, after their use was approved for consumer goods.
ABC/wires
