I smelled more than a few whiffs of 'medical' marijuana walking around Sukhumvit last night

[jack71]

I cannot believe that Thailand has gone from zero tolerance to virtually anything goes re Marijuana. 

 

I was walking around various areas of Sukhumvit and smelled pot many times. I walked past one weed shop and there was a tourist smoking a joint inside the shop in full view of everyone else. Anyone could see this from the road to inside the shop. I also watched a couple of guys smoking a joint on the street. I noticed a small utility truck with a sign advertising the sale of the green stuff. A guy was smoking near it.

 

Basically Thailands amazing health minister Anutin has passed a law with NO guidance, no advice or processes describing what people are allowed to do. He says he intended it only for medical purposes but now it has resulted in this new narco state. I think its all a bit of a joke that a future PM can do this so easily.

 

The way its going I think we will see smoking cafes similar to Amsterdam next year in Bangkok. Why not... the laws are so loose here. We will see a huge increase in pot head tourists coming here for holidays. 

 

Thoughts....

[richard_smith237]

I also think its quite incredible and also quite fitting for this enigma that is Thailand !!!...

 

Marijuana is obviously quite harmless and has medicinal benefits while at the same time causing very few social problems (no need for a debate on this).

 

This forward thinking direction from Thailand is extremely progressive, yet at the same time extremely clumsily laid out from a legal perspective. 

 

I think ‘narco state’ is extremely harsh, its nothing like that... but giving people the freedom to smoke dope if they want is perfectly fine IMO, Thailand has placed itself ahead of the curve here.

 

 

[pgrahmm]

Somehow Somchai raising his legal little crop & then hopping on his motorcy is a disquieting thought for me.... It'll take a few years to reap & measure that harvest.....

 

Soon to be regulated, licensed, & harvested by the powers (soon to be corporations) that freed it's use and availability....

Follow the money.....

[pomchop]

oh no..you mean soon it won't just be drunks all over the place being loud and obnoxious while pot heads go quietly and peacefully about their business?

[stoner]

48 minutes ago, jack71 said:

I think its all a bit of a joke

 

48 minutes ago, jack71 said:

We will see a huge increase in pot head tourists coming here for holidays.

omg i can't believe someone was actually smoking a joint in a cannabis shop. that is so insane. and that there was smells in and around said shops. talk about holy moly. 

 

wow look over there somchai someone is drinking a beer in a bar. it smells like alcohol too. 

 

those darn alcohol drinkers and their smelly bars. do you often spout that the millions of people coming here are alcoholics when they partake for their holiday ?

 

if not then read my first highlighted quote.

[KhunLA]

Quote

Basically Thailands amazing health minister Anutin has passed a law with NO guidance, no advice or processes describing what people are allowed to do.

Actually the law was specific, people simply ignore it.  Same as the alcohol & P4P laws.

 

Does it only bother you since you apparently don't indulge.  You can't pick and chose which laws others should ignore because of your moral compass or beliefs.

 

Simply being de-criminalize is all that was needed for people to come 'out' as potheads.  It's a stimulant far less dangerous to yourself & others than say alcohol or cigs.

 

Availability was always here, so nothing new there except for the most ignorant.

 

Live and let live ... ????

[marin]

1 hour ago, jack71 said:

We will see a huge increase in pot head tourists coming here for holidays. 

 

Thoughts....

My thought is you are going to be surprised as you are ridiculed and have the <deleted> taken out of you because of your archaic thoughts..

[jaywalker2]

Interestingly, the Amsterdam mayor is talking about banning tourists from cannabis cafes on the grounds that they (the cafes) are causing social problems. It should be noted that although the possession of small quanities of marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, the commercial growing of marijuana is not. Thus, the cafes ironically have to get their weed from illegal sources.

[Bday Prang]

I think its time the OP moved on, In both senses of the word, He obviously cannot come to terms with things, we don't need his sort here for any longer than necessary, He seems unable to live and let live, and has now, by his own admission started "watching" strangers smoking. Time to move on pal and do one, (whilst I do one up)

[Bday Prang]

5 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

Interestingly, the Amsterdam mayor is talking about banning tourists from cannabis cafes on the grounds that they (the cafes) are causing social problems. It should be noted that although the possession of small quanities of marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, the commercial growing of marijuana is not. Thus, the cafes ironically have to get their weed from illegal sources.

On the ridiculous imaginary grounds that it is causing "social problems"

[Bday Prang]

His post looks like a tabloid newspapers'  "shock horror" story   I find it hard to believe that people like this still exist these days

 

[Bday Prang]

19 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

Interestingly, the Amsterdam mayor is talking about banning tourists from cannabis cafes on the grounds that they (the cafes) are causing social problems. It should be noted that although the possession of small quanities of marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, the commercial growing of marijuana is not. Thus, the cafes ironically have to get their weed from illegal sources.

Let them ban it and see what happens,  they are delusional if they think so many people will keep coming due to their interest in Anne franks house , or tulips How blind can these fools be

[2baht]

2 hours ago, jack71 said:

smelled pot many times

Great smell, is'nt it! ????

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

Let them ban it and see what happens,  they are delusional if they think so many people will keep coming due to their interest in Anne franks house , or tulips How blind can these fools be

I went there / AMS, because the airlines I worked for co-shared their flights, and cost near nothing for employees to go 1st class to AMS.

 

Van Halen perked my interest in visiting the Bull Dog for some hash smoking.  Only hung out in AMS for 3 days for the museums, and can highly recommend.  Great visit before moving on for a pitstop at Copenhagen, then to Sweden to visit niece.  My only EU experience, and never again.  Damn expensive & boring food.  Loved the 2 cities though.

 

Only went to Sweden, because I didn't want to go from hot MEM to hot HKT, so got some snow skiing in with visiting my niece.  Thankfully I did make the visit, as she passed away, way to young, and that was the last time I saw her.

 

Pretty sure people don't travel to AMS, or TH, just to smoke a bit of weed.  Especially at the silly TH prices, if they research prior.  That would be one stupid person.

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Great smell, is'nt it! ????

Yes it is.  Strange as I find cig smoke revolting 

[digbeth]

All these drunkheads sitting in front of 7-11 drinking leos in open daylight never bothered you before? 

You can't even walk to the next block and there's another 7-11 selling more alcohol, there's even mom and pop store in on the action too, and in restaurants, they're serving them with meals even

There's also alcohol specific place call 'bars' where you only go there to get drunk! the horrors!

[jaywalker2]

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

On the ridiculous imaginary grounds that it is causing "social problems"

If Thailand becomes flooded with weed tourists who are only here to get high, you can bet the media will have a field day. It's not the gancha that's the problem but the public perception.

[Sparktrader]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I also think its quite incredible and also quite fitting for this enigma that is Thailand !!!...

 

Marijuana is obviously quite harmless and has medicinal benefits while at the same time causing very few social problems (no need for a debate on this).

 

This forward thinking direction from Thailand is extremely progressive, yet at the same time extremely clumsily laid out from a legal perspective. 

 

I think ‘narco state’ is extremely harsh, its nothing like that... but giving people the freedom to smoke dope if they want is perfectly fine IMO, Thailand has placed itself ahead of the curve here.

 

 

Not harmless, reduces st memory. Dangerous to drive.

[marin]

9 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Not harmless, reduces st memory.

...................................................................................Dang forgot what I was going to post.

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

I went there / AMS, because the airlines I worked for co-shared their flights, and cost near nothing for employees to go 1st class to AMS.

 

Van Halen perked my interest in visiting the Bull Dog for some hash smoking.  Only hung out in AMS for 3 days for the museums, and can highly recommend.  Great visit before moving on for a pitstop at Copenhagen, then to Sweden to visit niece.  My only EU experience, and never again.  Damn expensive & boring food.  Loved the 2 cities though.

 

Only went to Sweden, because I didn't want to go from hot MEM to hot HKT, so got some snow skiing in with visiting my niece.  Thankfully I did make the visit, as she passed away, way to young, and that was the last time I saw her.

 

Pretty sure people don't travel to AMS, or TH, just to smoke a bit of weed.  Especially at the silly TH prices, if they research prior.  That would be one stupid person.

                  I've been to Amsterdam dozens of times, getting there from the UK was never particularly expensive and there was some reasonably priced accommodation available  I went for 2 reasons weed and mongering weed was available at prices not dissimilar to UK street prices it was  the quality and selection that we went for (in both cases !) 

                   It was a bit dump and a bit intimidating in the 80's / 90s  there were a lot of down and out heroin addicts begging and hassling people it did seem to attract the scum of europe, lots of squatters and nasty left wing activist types  and a lot of annoying and aggressive street dealers . and general wrong'us hanging round in the shadows. The Police didn't seem to care back then    But since then a sort of gentrification has taken place its perfectly safe to walk around the central area at night street muggings and violence are rare, There is always a visible police presence  Probably similar to Khao san rd 

           Whilst It goes without saying  that many don't travel there purely for the weed. it is a significant draw. and a lot of businesses are involved in servicing it    There are probably millions of "Potheads" visiting every year for no other reason than to enjoy smoking weed,  but the atmosphere around the tourist sector which is basically the  red light area is very relaxed and enjoyed by all types of people who manage to co-exist peacefully

                    I honestly can't believe that the availability of cannabis puts people off going there, or is an anyway detrimental to the experience anybody has when visiting  Conversely one time when you should avoid visiting is when there is a football match things can get a bit "tasty" (which as you mentioned, is more than be said for Dutch food)

                    I doubt Thailand is going to degenerate  into a leftie Ghetto like Amsterdam was in the 70's and 80's so I don't see any downside to tourism,  It certainly won't put many people off coming here and despite the whinging by some on this forum I can't see many expats moving away either   (good riddance to those that do) I think there will be a lot who will come here just to smoke but the vast majority of pure pot tourists will be from the likes of Japan Korea and other close countries, Any Euro pot heads that come would have probably been coming here anyway regardless (like me)

[Golden Triangle]

let them get on with it is what I say, I'm waiting for a shop to open on the Darkside of Pattaya, must be well over 40 years since I've had a puff of giggle weed ????

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, Sparktrader said:

Not harmless, reduces st memory. Dangerous to drive.

Doesn't stop them selling Alcohol does it though?  The effects of cannabis on driving are nowhere near as dramatic as alcohol.  I spent nearly my entire life driving and smoking it was never a realistic legal issue until recently .           I have never been involved in any accident.       Much further research is needed it is in no way similar to alcohol why would it be and far less debilitating than many prescription drugs. 

If you have smoked enough for it to affect your driving you really would not bother driving     .Try it and see 

[Sparktrader]

Drink tea 

 

Meditate

 

 

 

[Bday Prang]

4 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

Interestingly, the Amsterdam mayor is talking about banning tourists from cannabis cafes on the grounds that they (the cafes) are causing social problems. It should be noted that although the possession of small quanities of marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, the commercial growing of marijuana is not. Thus, the cafes ironically have to get their weed from illegal sources.

A further Irony is that legally you can't smoke a joint containing tobacco in most of the coffee shops but many will turn blind eye. 

These days many of the coffeeshops won't sell you a coffee if you don't intend to buy weed from them and also object to people smoking weed purchased elsewhere.

They are becoming a bit mercenary and are not like they used to be  There used to be at least the illusion of  a sort of cannabis community spirit there years ago, in fact it was like that all over the world  but its just business now. One of the downsides of legalization I suppose but one that I can handle

[Bday Prang]

2 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Drink tea 

 

Meditate

 

 

 

I'll leave meditation  to the monks, Isn't it meant to be a punishment, like most religious activities

[Bday Prang]

17 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

let them get on with it is what I say, I'm waiting for a shop to open on the Darkside of Pattaya, must be well over 40 years since I've had a puff of giggle weed ????

Why wait  just get it online  don't deny yourself,    are you a catholic?

[pomchop]

If you don't like pot then don't smoke it......fortunately most people seem to realize that it is a whole lot less harmful than the two biggie drugs....alcohol and tobacco.  I have done all 3 and in my experience pot would be a distant # 3 from booze and cigs.  The violence that booze seems to trigger in a multitude of users has been going on "legally" for centuries while the much much more laid back peaceful pot smokers have been prosecuted, imprisoned and worse for decades.  Enough.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

I don't post in the marijuana pages as not my business. I had a bad experience with hash cookies in Thailand as it happens in 1985 on Koh Samui. My subsequent marijuana experiences not much better. So strong. 

Happy to accept it's just me and have no desire to impose my experience on others. It's a bit hard to fathom that something so strong, and I believe it has got significantly stronger, can be all a good thing. But legalisation in America hasn't lead to too many issues that I have seen so let people do their thing I suppose. 

[Sparktrader]

21 minutes ago, pomchop said:

If you don't like pot then don't smoke it......fortunately most people seem to realize that it is a whole lot less harmful than the two biggie drugs....alcohol and tobacco.  I have done all 3 and in my experience pot would be a distant # 3 from booze and cigs.  The violence that booze seems to trigger in a multitude of users has been going on "legally" for centuries while the much much more laid back peaceful pot smokers have been prosecuted, imprisoned and worse for decades.  Enough.

Alcohol enhances your personality. If fun person more fun. If angry bogan more angry. Blame the person not beer.

[KhunLA]

54 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

                  I've been to Amsterdam dozens of times, getting there from the UK was never particularly expensive and there was some reasonably priced accommodation available  I went for 2 reasons weed and mongering weed was available at prices not dissimilar to UK street prices it was  the quality and selection that we went for (in both cases !) 

                   It was a bit dump and a bit intimidating in the 80's / 90s  there were a lot of down and out heroin addicts begging and hassling people it did seem to attract the scum of europe, lots of squatters and nasty left wing activist types  and a lot of annoying and aggressive street dealers . and general wrong'us hanging round in the shadows. The Police didn't seem to care back then    But since then a sort of gentrification has taken place its perfectly safe to walk around the central area at night street muggings and violence are rare, There is always a visible police presence  Probably similar to Khao san rd 

           Whilst It goes without saying  that many don't travel there purely for the weed. it is a significant draw. and a lot of businesses are involved in servicing it    There are probably millions of "Potheads" visiting every year for no other reason than to enjoy smoking weed,  but the atmosphere around the tourist sector which is basically the  red light area is very relaxed and enjoyed by all types of people who manage to co-exist peacefully

                    I honestly can't believe that the availability of cannabis puts people off going there, or is an anyway detrimental to the experience anybody has when visiting  Conversely one time when you should avoid visiting is when there is a football match things can get a bit "tasty" (which as you mentioned, is more than be said for Dutch food)

                    I doubt Thailand is going to degenerate  into a leftie Ghetto like Amsterdam was in the 70's and 80's so I don't see any downside to tourism,  It certainly won't put many people off coming here and despite the whinging by some on this forum I can't see many expats moving away either   (good riddance to those that do) I think there will be a lot who will come here just to smoke but the vast majority of pure pot tourists will be from the likes of Japan Korea and other close countries, Any Euro pot heads that come would have probably been coming here anyway regardless (like me)

1999 for me, and if I had to pay for airfare, from USA, then never would have, as way too far to sit in the back of the bus.

 

The most expensive (at the time) & crappiest hotel I ever stayed in, at AMS.  And I'm pretty thrifty, along with airline employee discounts.  Fine for 1 time visit, and location, only plus, was perfect.  Short walk to the museums.  Was an excellent trip, but see why most Yanks, stay in the Americas.

 

Time & expense to go points afar, are, were, a bit silly, unless you're ok with the back of the bus on long trips ... NO THANKS