Toothpaste? Snacks? Thailand's new legal cannabis

STORY: From teas to toothpaste, these are Thailand's newest cannabis-infused products.

Businesses are cashing in after the country decriminalized the entire plant last month.

Dropping cannabis from its narcotics list has led to an explosion of recreational use.

Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize marijuana in 2018 for medical use and research.

Last year, it allowed cannabis extracts and leaves to be used in cosmetics, food, and beverages.

Surawut Samphant is the owner of a shop that sells cannabis products.

He has created a cannabis-infused toothpaste.

"We have a high number of customers returning to buy more of the product. It is not just the CBD that is the highlight, we also have other herbal extract ingredients in the toothpaste as well. Now, with all the herbs combined with the cannabis oil extract, the product has piqued even more interest."

Officially, commercial products approved by the food and drug regulator can contain CBD, a chemical in cannabis that does not make users high.

But content of THC- the active ingredient that gets users high - is limited to just 0.2% in any product.

Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the main driver behind the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, estimates the industry could be worth more than $3 billion within five years.

"I hope to see people getting rich out of doing all these products in a positive way. And again, I reiterate that my policy on cannabis is only focusing on medical purpose and healthcare, and that's all. We can't encourage the use of cannabis in the other ways."

Producers of THC-rich marijuana have taken advantage of the push to promote medical marijuana.

Stalls selling pot have sprung up around the country.

Anutin said that there were public health laws that can prevent recreational use.

He added that a cannabis bill is being deliberated in parliament.