The Public Health Ministry has issued three announcements regulating the use of cannabidiol (CBD) as an ingredient in food products.
The regulation entails the tightening of CBD use for consumer safety, said deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul.
The announcements released under the Food Act were published in the Royal Gazette on Friday and took effect on Saturday.
Ms Traisuree said the government’s policy has been to promote and develop cannabis and hemp as cash crops for medicinal as well as industrial benefits.
Measures have been devised to control how cannabis and hemp are put to use.
The first announcement dictates a clear labelling of food products containing either cannabis or hemp, or both. Food products which do not meet the labelling standard will need to make improvements within two years, Ms Traisuree said.
Specifically, food products sold or offered directly to consumers, such as condiments, must contain no more than 0.0032% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), cannabis’s chief psychoactive agent, and no more than 0.0028% CBD by food weight.
In other food products, the THC must not exceed 1.6 grammes and CBD is capped at no more than 1.41 grammes per product item.
Essential details must be printed on product labels, including warnings against excessive consumption of products mixed with cannabis or hemp.
The second announcement lifts the limit of CBD found in oil extracted from hemp seeds.
Under the third announcement, CBD is permissible as a mixture with other health-safe food ingredients.
The regulations are meant to streamline restrictions governing cannabis and hemp and add clarity to food labelling and cooking, which will be of benefit to food businesses.