The Kratom plant has been removed from a list of narcotics listed under the amended Narcotics Act.
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said the Act has been modified and the new version was published in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday to annul the plant’s narcotics status.
The amendment will take effect on Aug 24, Mr Somsak said.
He thanked the organisations involved in pushing for the plant’s removal from the list, noting Kratom is a part of local people’s lifestyle.
However, cultivation of the plant will still be restricted until a new law to regulate kratom plantations is enacted, the justice minister said.
He said this legislation, also known as the Kratom Law, will detail how the plant is allowed to be used.