Asia

Lawmakers in the Philippines House of Representatives this week voted 177-9 to legalize medical cannabis. The proposal, however, faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

A recent poll found a 75% majority of Thais in support of the government’s plan to relist cannabis as an illegal drug under federal law.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media this week that he wants to make cannabis illegal again except for medicinal purposes, aligning with the health minister’s call for re-criminalizing the plant.

Japan’s hemp cannabinoid market expanded sixfold to ¥24 billion ($154 million) over the last five years as the country’s demand for CBD products steadily climbed.

Lawmakers in Japan’s House of Representatives have passed a bill to legalize cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals. The bill would also establish legal restrictions on general cannabis use, which was not previously referenced under federal law.

Police in northern India said that a stash of 500 kilograms of confiscated cannabis that had gone missing was eaten by rats.

Japan’s government is debating legalizing cannabis medicines, a historic change in Japan’s zero-tolerance drug laws.

In less than a decade, the cannabis industry has gone from seeing a worldwide blanket prohibition of the plant to today, where new and exciting cannabis opportunities can be found across the globe.

Nearly double the rate of people in Japan were involved in cannabis-related criminal cases compared to last year, a record for the country where 70% of offenders are in their 20s or younger.

Pakistan is set to legalize the production of cannabis in order to position itself for participating in the global cannabinoids marketplace.

Once a hippy hideaway for cannabis before it was made illegal in the 1970s, activists are pushing legislation to legalize cannabis in Nepal.

A Singaporean man is set to be hanged for importing 1 kilogram of cannabis from Malaysia into Singapore in 2018.

A former civilian employee for the U.S. Marine Corps was sentenced to four years and four months in prison in Japan after he was arrested last year for illegal cannabis sales.

A cafe selling CBD-infused edibles and drinks has opened in Hong Kong. The business only offers products that contain 0 percent THC.

Pakistan has approved a government-controlled hemp production plan that will allow hemp farming for industrial and medical purposes.

Indonesian officials reversed a decree designating cannabis as a “medicinal plant” after an Instagram post of the original decree went viral. Cannabis remains illegal in Indonesia, even for medical patients, though it was designated “medicinal” for research purposes.

Officials in Thailand have approved a draft law that would allow farmers, health professionals, and medical patients to cultivate, produce, and export cannabis products.

Japanese company Hiro International has unveiled a new line of CBD products produced using orange peels, not hemp or cannabis.

Lebanese lawmakers have approved the legalization of medical cannabis and industrial hemp; the move was recommended by economic advisors prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

A draft legalization law has been sent to members of Lebanon’s Parliament — the proposal, however, would only legalize cannabis products containing no more than 1 percent THC.

Nepal lawmakers will consider adult-use cannabis legalization after lawmakers from the ruling Communist Party proposed the reforms; the legislation is reportedly backed by at least 46 lawmakers.

A health clinic in Chiang Mai, Thailand is the country’s first to offer treatments using both cannabis and mainstream medicines.

Proposed changes to Thailand’s cannabis laws would allow citizens to cultivate up to six plants and sell their harvests back to the government, who would process it into medical cannabis products.