Bangkok Dismisses Requests to Turn Khao San Into Cannabis Hub

[webfact]

 

by Paul Rujopakarn

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - The city of Bangkok has denied requests from business owners to transform Khao San Road into Thailand’s cannabis hub, citing the area’s proximity to schools, temples and various government offices.

 

Referring to the Maintenance of Cleanliness and Orderliness of the Country Act (1997), Deputy Bangkok Governor Jakkapan Phiewngam said the sale of cannabis-based products in the well-known tourist spot is unlikely to be approved in the near future.

 

Currently, vendors and stall owners who wish to sell cannabis-based products must register them with their respective district offices. Products that have been registered with authorities cannot be altered without the permission of the district office.

 

Jakkapan reminded the public that it is still illegal to sell cannabis-infused food and beverages in public, adding that the city’s law enforcement agencies have been tasked with searching all districts in the capital for such products, particularly near schools.

 

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt also made clear his concern regarding the promotion of cannabis in the capital, stating that viral videos depicting vendors openly conducting sales could ultimately harm the city’s reputation. He also urged relevant agencies to issue more public service announcements discouraging cannabis use for recreational purposes.

 

To mitigate the potential negative effects of cannabis on society, Sanga Ruengwattanakul, president of the Khao San Road Businesses Association, suggested that the government should instead push for ID verification at points of sale to prevent sales to minors and require vendors and shop owners to set aside space for consumption, as smoking in public is still prohibited.

 

Sanga has expressed support for a future plan to make Khao San Road a pilot area to promote the responsible use of cannabis among Thais and foreign tourists. However, he acknowledged that the matter must be carefully considered by the government and relevant experts.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-07-05

 

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[Bert got kinky]

 

Common sense is prevailing at last.

It is quite obvious, even if only to me, that Thailand’s cannabis hub should be located in my mancave.

 

[Bert got kinky]

Jakkapan reminded the public that it is still illegal to sell cannabis-infused food and beverages in public

Does this mean that it is ok to sell cannabis-infused food and beverages in private?

Restaurants are not public places.

 

[RichardColeman]

Give it a year - covid permitting - and it will be full of back packing hippy weed smoker tourists anyway, whether they want the name Ganja street or not, they'll get it

[hotchilli]

On 7/5/2022 at 12:37 PM, webfact said:

Jakkapan reminded the public that it is still illegal to sell cannabis-infused food and beverages in public,

So what's with the infused drinks, and something in your noodles, or baked into your cookies all about?

[Bert got kinky]

7 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So what's with the infused drinks, and something in your noodles, or baked into your cookies all about?

 

Maybe it's one of those flexible laws that they have here.

You know, like the laws for zebra crossings, red lights, motorcycle helmets or using plastic bags to extort confessions, etc.

 

[jingjai9]

Can someone explain to me what the government's objective with cannabis is? I understand that the government wants to attract tourists to Thailand and they think cannabis will serve as an attraction. Do they think people will come here to take medicine together (less than 2% THC)?  Does cannabis make food taste better? What does the government think the attraction will be for cannabis tourists?

 

When government officials say legalizing cannabis will bring people to Thailand it sends the message that you can come here to party. Then when they say you cannot use it for recreation, it becomes confusing. What is their objective, for residents of SE Asia to come here to buy medicine because they cannot get it in their native countries?

 

 

When trying to decide how to regulate cannabis have they considered the effects THC has on people. I think they commingle the intoxication of cannabis with alcohol. I have never seen people get rowdy or aggressive  from smoking pot. Sure, some people might get out of hand, but I would bet it is the rare exception rather than the rule. How are the effects of cannabis different from alcohol? Once this is established then rational guidelines can be set in place. There are plenty of published reports on the effects of cannabis from other countries who have legalized it which could be used to research guidelines for regulation (number of hospitalizations, cases of overdose, crimes committed when under the influence of THC, road accidents, etc.). The Netherlands has had a policy of toleration of over 30 years. The USA would be a good place to study because even though it is one country, each state has set its own guidelines and laws. This would be a good way to compare and contrast what seems to work or not work. Then Thailand could apply what they learned to institute and maintain guidelines that fit Thai culture.

 

Are there any cannabis hubs in other countries? Thailand has a great opportunity to come up with something new. Cannabis could transition Thailand from LOS to  LOBS (land of bigger smiles). Or it could eventually trigger the old crackdown routine again. 
 

[mikebike]

4 minutes ago, jingjai9 said:

How are the effects of cannabis different from alcohol? Once this is established

Huh? This is well researched and established already.

[jingjai9]

That is my point, the information is there. They need to articulate it as they move forward to regulate. The officials seem to commingle the effects of THC with alcohol.

 

[mikebike]

6 minutes ago, jingjai9 said:

Are there any cannabis hubs in other countries?

Canada has a cannabis hub in virtually every city these days...

[jingjai9]

That is interesting. What are the hubs like in Canada?

 

[mikebike]

8 minutes ago, jingjai9 said:

The USA would be a good place to study because even though it is one country, each state has set its own guidelines and laws.

The USA does not seem like the best country to get info/data from on this subject for MANY reasons. Possibly some isolated state's data could be useful.

[jingjai9]

Why wouldn't the USA be good?

 

 

[Bert got kinky]

8 minutes ago, jingjai9 said:

Why wouldn't the USA be good?

 

 

That would be like relying on the Catholic Church's research on whether God exists or not.

 

[Bert got kinky]

1 minute ago, Bert got kinky said:

That would be like relying on the Catholic Church's word when researching whether God exists or not.

 

 

[khaowong1]

4 hours ago, mikebike said:

Canada has a cannabis hub in virtually every city these days...

Amsterdam comes to mind.