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13
Business As Usual?
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3058697/thai-cannabis-industry-thrown-into-chaos-as-government-aims-to-recriminalise-weed Thai cannabis industry thrown into chaos New rules are political revenge and public will pay, says vendor in Khaosan PUBLISHED : 26 Jun 2025 at 17:26 WRITER: Bloomberg News Three years after becoming the first Asian nation to decriminalise cannabis, Thailand is poised to reverse course amid political turmoil and now requires a prescription to buy cannabis at any of the 10,000-18,000 dispensaries that have sprung up since 2022. The new rules have thrown the fledgling industry into chaos and sparked criticism from pro-cannabis activists, who championed liberalisation as a way to boost Thailand’s wellness and tourism sectors. Dispensaries must now sell only cannabis produced by farms that have obtained the “Good Agricultural and Collection Practices” certifications issued by the government, and amounts are capped at a 30-day supply per customer. The latest regulations, which went into effect Thursday, followed a pledge by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s ruling Pheu Thai Party to toughen the country’s drug policy and limit the use of cannabis for only medical purposes. That promise came just days after the second-largest bloc in the government coalition, the pro-weed Bhumjaithai Party, left to join the opposition after a dispute over a cabinet seat. Compliance costs will put further strain on dispensaries, which have already been struggling with high competition and fewer-than-expected foreign tourists the past year, said Rattapon Sanrak, owner of Highland Cafe, a dispensary in Bangkok’s backpacker-heavy Khaosan district. “These moves are political revenge, but it’s the public who’ll pay,” Mr Rattapon said. “The majority of farms in the country are not yet certified by the government. And the products that don’t comply with the regulations that are in the pipeline will have nowhere to go but underground.” Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said earlier this week that the government plans to put cannabis back on the country’s list of illegal narcotics — it is currently classified as a “controlled herb.” And over the next several weeks, new rules will be drafted to require every dispensary to have a doctor on site as part of licensing criteria, he said. Many businesses said they were blindsided by the abrupt rollout of the new rules, which were published on Wednesday night with no grace period. Numerous enterprises shut their doors on Thursday while they decided next steps. Some entrepreneurs said they are mulling a class-action lawsuit to at least delay the new requirements. An advocacy group named Writing Thailand’s Cannabis Future urged people to protest at the Public Health Ministry on July 7. The group said the new regulations will not halt the recreational use of weed, but lead to the sales of fake medical prescriptions. “A medical certificate can absolutely be bought,” said Prasitchai Nunual, the group’s secretary-general. “Permission slips given by so-called established experts will lead to corruption and prescriptions that don’t reflect any medical reality.” The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) estimated the domestic cannabis industry at 28 billion baht (US$865 million) in 2022 after decriminalisation went into effect, adding that it had potential to reach 43 billion baht in 2025. -
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Middle East “Pickaxe mountain” Iran’s Secret Nuclear Stronghold That Defies U.S. Bombs
Wrong on both counts. High enrichment not required for either. -
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The UK is going mad...
Yep, spot on. And the occasional murder on Law & Crime Network features a couple who were documenting their lives on social media and pretending they had perfect lives and fooling thousands of followers. You don't see what's going on behind the camera. -
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Report Hun Sen Threatens to Reveal Thaksin's Secret Betrayals
It has taken a peeved foreigner to expose Thaksin and his family for the liars and selfserving cheats they are. These revelations should have been made by Thai politicians who have shown what cowards they are kow towing to a convicted criminal. -
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USA Trump Unleashes Tirade Against Zohran Mamdani After Shocking NYC Mayoral Primary Victory
Hard to tell in the MAGA world but, before Trump won, there was little difference between the Republicrats & the Democans. Neither seems to be a 'party' anymore, if they ever were. Mamdani offers a tiny crack in the facade.
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