Thailand’s interim parliament voted Tuesday to allow the use of medical cannabis, one of the senators who worked on the bill told CNN. Recreational use of the drug remains illegal.
Lawmaker Somchai Sawangkarn said the passage of an amendment to allow medical marijuana in the country “could be considered as a New Year’s gift to Thais.” “The amendment (in the Narcotics Bill) was approved in today’s second and third readings and will go into effect once it is published in the Royal Gazette,” he said.
The 166 members of the National Legislative Assembly voted in favor of the change and there were no votes against the motion. There were 13 members who abstained from voting.
This makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to allow the use of medical marijuana. The region is known for its hard-line approach to drugs and strict penalties for drug-related crimes.
The British government approved medical marijuana earlier this year, and it was available Nov. 1 from the National Health System for patients on a prescription.
Cannabis-derived drugs were legalized in Germany last year. Medical marijuana is also legal in Australia and Ireland.
In the United States, medical marijuana is legal in 30 states, although the laws that govern what is allowed vary from state to state, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.