Ownership is no longer illegal, though public smoking is still not permitted.

This morning, Thailand officially became the first Asian country to decriminalize cannabis. This means that, going forward, the ownership and production of cannabis and cannabis products is no longer illegal, nor is its usage. However, only proper, medical usage of cannabis is permitted; using the substance for the express purpose of achieving an altered state, especially in public, is still prohibited.

“We [have always] emphasized using cannabis extractions and raw materials for medical purposes and for health,” Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told CNN. “There has never once been a moment that we would think about advocating people to use cannabis in terms of recreation – or use it in a way that it could irritate others.”

“Thailand will promote cannabis policies for medical purposes. If [tourists] come for medical treatment or come for health-related products then it’s not an issue but if you think that you want to come to Thailand just because you heard that cannabis or marijuana is legal … [or] come to Thailand to smoke joints freely, that’s wrong.”

In addition to making it easier for patients to get cannabis for medical purposes, Anutin also hopes that a newly-legal cannabis industry will generate some fresh income for Thailand’s overall agriculture industry.

“We expect the value of [the cannabis] industry to easily exceed $2 billion dollars,” he said.

“I think Thai people are excited and eager to be players – either as investors or product makers as well as consumers. With today’s technology and marketing strategies, Thailand will be second to none in being able to promote [cannabis] products in the global market.”