Thailand’s wild, wooly and booming weed experiment

[webfact]

Thailand medical marijuana industry is growing apace. Photo: Twitter

 

Pot shops have sprouted far and wide across the kingdom after sweeping decriminalization policy that may or may not last

 

By PETER WARR

 

In June 2022, the Thai government took the bold step of decriminalizing the production, sale and personal use of cannabis. Huge consequences have followed, and other Asian countries should take notice.

 

An extensive, largely unregulated industry has quickly emerged, surprising many observers. Specialized retail outlets selling cannabis products have proliferated in large cities. Their number seems comparable with conventional pharmacies.

 

The 3,000 new retail outlets officially registered include both small-scale Thai firms and foreign-owned firms with prior experience in the Amsterdam and California cannabis industries. Foreign firms are especially significant in cities receiving the most foreign tourists.

 

There are websites dedicated to listing the new retail establishments. The northern city of Chiang Mai has 220 outlets listed and is gaining a reputation as one of the world’s top cannabis tourist destinations.

 

Full story: https://asiatimes.com/2023/03/thailands-wild-wooly-and-booming-weed-experiment/

 

-- © Copyright ASIA TIMES 2023-04-01

 

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[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

There are websites dedicated to listing the new retail establishments. The northern city of Chiang Mai has 220 outlets listed and is gaining a reputation as one of the world’s top cannabis tourist destinations

How very sad.

[JCauto]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

How very sad.

Yes, terrible to have a bunch of happy, hungry, chilled-out tourists minding their own business, spending money and having fun. Better to have Russians, the return of mass Chinese no-dollar tourism or something else that I'm missing?

[SoilSpoil]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

How very sad.

Why sad? 

[zzaa09]

55 minutes ago, JCauto said:

Yes, terrible to have a bunch of happy, hungry, chilled-out tourists minding their own business, spending money and having fun. Better to have Russians, the return of mass Chinese no-dollar tourism or something else that I'm missing?

The dollar will soon be less and less an influential/significant trading unit - generally speaking. 

Already starting to turn. 

[rwill]

I'm surprised they haven't blamed the air pollution on marijuana smokers.

[phetphet]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

How very sad.

Watch out 7-11. They are overtaking you in numbers everywhere.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, JCauto said:

Yes, terrible to have a bunch of happy, hungry, chilled-out tourists minding their own business, spending money and having fun. Better to have Russians, the return of mass Chinese no-dollar tourism or something else that I'm missing?

A sad day when you need weed to enjoy yourself.

[F Groenen]

It may surprise the users, but many people do not like marijuana and now have to put up with the stench from the ones using it. Sadly these users seem to think that it is ok to smoke a joint everywhere. I now avoid many bars, simply because I cannot stand the smell. My wife gets physically sick from the smell of hash.
Be considerate, smoke outside and pay attention to not force your stinky habit on others.
Why can't they make this stuff without it smelling as it does ?

[BritManToo]

12 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

A sad day when you need weed to enjoy yourself.

A sad day when someone worries how others enjoy themselves. 

[JCauto]

7 minutes ago, F Groenen said:

It may surprise the users, but many people do not like marijuana and now have to put up with the stench from the ones using it. Sadly these users seem to think that it is ok to smoke a joint everywhere. I now avoid many bars, simply because I cannot stand the smell. My wife gets physically sick from the smell of hash.
Be considerate, smoke outside and pay attention to not force your stinky habit on others.
Why can't they make this stuff without it smelling as it does ?

No, doesn't surprise me at all, my wife dislikes it also.

So I smoke outside and away from other people like the majority of dope smokers. I'm surprised there are that many bars allowing full-on marijuana consumption, is that the norm?

[Dcheech]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The northern city of Chiang Mai has 220 outlets listed and is gaining a reputation as one of the world’s top cannabis tourist destinations.

Within 6 months over 100 of those outlets will be out of business with more to follow. Its been a gang rush but the market cannot support that many shops; another boom & bust, cycle.

[F Groenen]

47 minutes ago, JCauto said:

No, doesn't surprise me at all, my wife dislikes it also.

So I smoke outside and away from other people like the majority of dope smokers. I'm surprised there are that many bars allowing full-on marijuana consumption, is that the norm?

Whether the bars allow it or not, there seems to be a number of dope smokers that think they can smoke everywhere and that it is not noticeable. Sadly I can smell them from across a room and left no choice but to leave. Thanks guys and galls.

[dingdongrb]

Smoking cannabis in public spaces, including schools and Shopping malls, is illegal.

 

At least I thought that is one of the cannabis regulations.

[mikebike]

1 hour ago, F Groenen said:

It may surprise the users... 

It may surprise all the boozed-up tail chasers but some of us don't like that. We much prefer chillaxing in the company of good local folk and partake of their bountiful harvests well away from tourist ghettos. No bother to your olfactory glands my friend. ????

[BritManToo]

55 minutes ago, F Groenen said:

Whether the bars allow it or not, there seems to be a number of dope smokers that think they can smoke everywhere and that it is not noticeable. Sadly I can smell them from across a room and left no choice but to leave. Thanks guys and galls.

I think it's entirely sensible that some bars allow smoking and some don't.

Everyone should have the free choice to drink/socialise in places that match their needs.

What's far worse is the bars insisting on playing 70s rock music, can't stand that.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Dcheech said:

Within 6 months over 100 of those outlets will be out of business with more to follow. Its been a gang rush but the market cannot support that many shops; another boom & bust, cycle.

More to do with pricing than anything else IMHO.

Shops charging a 1000% mark-up can't possibly last long.

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

A sad day when you need weed to enjoy yourself.

Who said they need it to enjoy themselves?

If you have a glass of wine with your dinner does that mean you need wine to enjoy yourself? No, it just means you fancied a glass of wine. Why is weed any different? Perfectly normally to have a joint in the evening, doesn't mean you need it to enjoy yourself. Silly thing to say really, very old fashioned.

[mikebike]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

More to do with pricing than anything else IMHO.

Shops charging a 1000% mark-up can't possibly last long.

Hmmm... 1000% mark-up. The growers I know who are using fully air conned, lit, nitrogen and oxygen infused, hydro-organic techniques say their break even is around 100 baht/gram.

 

They retail in tourist areas at 600-650/gram. They sell the same product locally for 250-300/gram.

 

Or to friends for 150/gram.

 

Maybe you need to move, or make some friends ????????

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Hmmm... 1000% mark-up. The growers I know who are using fully air conned, lit, nitrogen and oxygen infused, hydro-organic techniques say their break even is around 100 baht/gram.

They retail in tourist areas at 600-650/gram. They sell the same product locally for 250-300/gram.

Or to friends for 150/gram.

Maybe you need to move, or make some friends ????????

I pay 15bht/gm.

And what I grow costs me around 40GBP for 10oz (+ a bit of my time).

[mikebike]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I pay 15bht/gm.

You are overpaying for "green crack"... The correct retail price should be 8-10 baht/gram... 

[F Groenen]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I think it's entirely sensible that some bars allow smoking and some don't.

Everyone should have the free choice to drink/socialise in places that match their needs.

What's far worse is the bars insisting on playing 70s rock music, can't stand that.

Actually it is not sensible, since smoking in public spaces is not allowed in Thailand. Sadly, by the time I alert a bar owner/manager of the offence, the sneeky smoker has hidden the cigarette and denies he/she smoked. The stench of hash remains in the air for a long time, but nothing illegal about that. The 'free' choice for me; stay and be sick or leave. Nice ?
The better bands play what their audience wants. Put in more requests for your preferred music at your favorite hangout.

[F Groenen]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

Who said they need it to enjoy themselves?

If you have a glass of wine with your dinner does that mean you need wine to enjoy yourself? No, it just means you fancied a glass of wine. Why is weed any different? Perfectly normally to have a joint in the evening, doesn't mean you need it to enjoy yourself. Silly thing to say really, very old fashioned.

Indeed perfectly normal as long as you don't bother the people around you. Smoke from a joint spreads throughout the whole room. Wine remains in your glass. So smoke your joint outside, away from others and we can all be happy.

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, F Groenen said:

Actually it is not sensible, since smoking in public spaces is not allowed in Thailand. Sadly, by the time I alert a bar owner/manager of the offence, the sneeky smoker has hidden the cigarette and denies he/she smoked. The stench of hash remains in the air for a long time, but nothing illegal about that. The 'free' choice for me; stay and be sick or leave. Nice ?
The better bands play what their audience wants. Put in more requests for your preferred music at your favorite hangout.

Bars aren't a public place. 

And some of the bars i enter advertise themselves as' cannabis friendy' with ashtrays on the tables. 

 

[F Groenen]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Bars aren't a public place. 

And some of the bars i enter advertise themselves as' cannabis friendy' with ashtrays on the tables. 

 

Public place: a location to which all of the public has access and is not a place exclusively used for a private gathering or any other personal purposes.
As long as a bar has an open door, it is a public place.
Being 'cannabis friendly' should mean they have a seperate enclosed room for smoking joints. Just like the airport smoke rooms were. Anything less would be meet the requirement.

[mikebike]

37 minutes ago, F Groenen said:

Public place: a location to which all of the public has access and is not a place exclusively used for a private gathering or any other personal purposes.
As long as a bar has an open door, it is a public place.
Being 'cannabis friendly' should mean they have a seperate enclosed room for smoking joints. Just like the airport smoke rooms were. Anything less would be meet the requirement.

Public place = you cannot be kicked out, except by police. Private place = you follow the rules of the owner. Businesses are private places by definition. Or do you live in bizarro world? 

[redwood1]

 

[sungod]

14 hours ago, hotchilli said:

A sad day when you need weed to enjoy yourself.

As sad as coming on here everyday and making multi comments on every thread?

[charmonman]

17 hours ago, F Groenen said:

It may surprise the users, but many people do not like marijuana and now have to put up with the stench from the ones using it. Sadly these users seem to think that it is ok to smoke a joint everywhere. I now avoid many bars, simply because I cannot stand the smell. My wife gets physically sick from the smell of hash.
Be considerate, smoke outside and pay attention to not force your stinky habit on others.
Why can't they make this stuff without it smelling as it does ?

The same can be said about tobacco but even more so. Many of us have been putting up with that stench for our entire lives. By comparison I find the smell of cannabis quite pleasant. Also it tends to be quite transitory as people are not sitting there chainsmoking the stuff.

If they want to make something illegal, why not start with tobacco, which any reasonable person would have to admit does way more harm than marijuana ever will.