Amid joints and cookies, marijuana business booms in Thailand

[webfact]

A foreigner customer sits in front of Royal Queen Seeds, on the so-called 420 World Cannabis Day in Bangkok, Thailand, 20 April 2023. EFE-EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

 

By Nayara Batschke

 

Bangkok, (EFE).- Home delivery services, interactive maps with online products, relaxation spas and stores with brownies, cookies and joints.

 

The marijuana business has become a profitable activity in Thailand, where many benefit from a legal limbo in the absence of clear regulation of the businesses.

 

Since the country legalized the cultivation of marijuana for medical use – the first to do so in Southeast Asia – on Jun. 9, Thailand has experienced a boom in cannabis dispensaries, framed by a confusing law that does not penalize consumption for recreational purposes.

With nearly 8,000 stores countrywide, more than 1 million local producers and some 11 million users in the last year, according to industry sources, Thailand seems to have entered the global marijuana circuit. The nation has even seen the blossoming of a new career: the “budtender.”

 

Full story: https://efe.com/en/other-news/2023-04-20/amid-joints-and-cookies-marijuana-business-booms-in-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright EFE 2023-04-21

 

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[stoner]

my cookies are so good....some even say that best. 

[Pique Dard]

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

The marijuana business has become a profitable activity in Thailand,

all nice and new!

[ChipButty]

Seems like every block of shops here in Phuket a new joint is opened 

[dinsdale]

So it seems as though it's good for the economy. Societal problems? Not really especially when compared to yaba that's for sure. Narcotic? No. Addictive? No. Should it be avaible for adults to purchase? Yes. Can the jeannie be put back into the bottle. Doubt it the only thing that will happen is it will be criminalized and go back underground. Prohibition does not and has never worked.

 

[bunnydrops]

I worked in the marijuana fields in Oregon for 4 years. 800 plants the largest. Now the fields are bear, the bottom dropped out. A good grade joint, sold in a plastic tube, one US dollar. I  think it will be the same here in a year or two.

[StayinThailand2much]

There seem to be more marijuana shops now in Bangkok and Pattaya than 7-Eleven outlets. Different to 7-Eleven, though, I've never even seen one customer entering these shops...

[Skallywag]

20 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

There seem to be more marijuana shops now in Bangkok and Pattaya than 7-Eleven outlets. Different to 7-Eleven, though, I've never even seen one customer entering these shops...

I have seen people enter and purchase weed, and have entered and purchased myself many months ago.  Online sellers are usually selling same for about half what you pay in retail shops, how I purchase nowadays

 

Unlike 7-11, selling 3 or 4 grams of marijuana can likely net a profit of 1000 baht or so.  You get a few customers a day and you paid the bills...  yet with so many shops I do not see them all prospering.  

 

Good thing is they have taken many shops and refurbished them with new tile and wall board, and it looks better than having old dirty empty shops everywhere as was the case since the pandemic.

[h90]

As many things he did were strange, the Kratom and Marijuana laws were a big step forward from Anutin.

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

So it seems as though it's good for the economy. Societal problems? Not really especially when compared to yaba that's for sure. Narcotic? No. Addictive? No. Should it be avaible for adults to purchase? Yes. Can the jeannie be put back into the bottle. Doubt it the only thing that will happen is it will be criminalized and go back underground. Prohibition does not and has never worked.

 

It can be addictive actually but in a different way than drugs we associate with addiction. 

 

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/marijuana-addiction-rare-but-real-072014#Legalization-and-addiction-

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, StayinThailand2much said:

There seem to be more marijuana shops now in Bangkok and Pattaya than 7-Eleven outlets. Different to 7-Eleven, though, I've never even seen one customer entering these shops...

I have entered but the better deals are online.

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

It can be addictive actually but in a different way than drugs we associate with addiction. 

 

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/marijuana-addiction-rare-but-real-072014#Legalization-and-addiction-

https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

Give this a read. It's interesting. As you say it's not addiction in the true definition. Nicotine addiction is. Opioid addiction is.

[Jingthing]

22 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

Give this a read. It's interesting. As you say it's not addiction in the true definition. Nicotine addiction is. Opioid addiction is.

Yeah but it can still be very real.

I know from many years of personal experience in my youth.

I really think teens shouldn't do it but of course they do and harsh punishments are much worse than the weed itself for them.

[h90]

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah but it can still be very real.

I know from many years of personal experience in my youth.

I really think teens shouldn't do it but of course they do and harsh punishments are much worse than the weed itself for them.

And it is not for the state to decide...people can be addicted to many things, the country can't ban it all...people are even addicted to jogging....

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Home delivery services, interactive maps with online products, relaxation spas and stores with brownies, cookies and joints.

Medicinal use only... worked out well didn't it for Anutin.

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Medicinal use only... worked out well didn't it for Anutin.

I didn't like Anutin before I liked him.

[h90]

10 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Medicinal use only... worked out well didn't it for Anutin.

Worked well for country and society and that matters.

[h90]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I didn't like Anutin before I liked him.

I don't forget Kratom...used since forever....and than government banned it and put people in jail because they have some leaves in their pocket.....While maybe he was not so great in other issues, he did something very big here

[d4dang]

How many of these businesses will survive in the long run? Thais jump into any business opportunity and throw money at it. Now 8,000 shops and counting. How many weed businesses are laundering money? In Canada legal producers are struggling as lots of Canadians buy from friends or grow their own. In Canada you can not see the product before buying it and you can not open the package while in the shop. The shop has a list of products without photos. In Canada prices dropped a lot and prices here are dropping.

[Pedrogaz]

But what is going to happen to all those businesses and the investment that went into them when Anutin's bill to legalise doesn't pass????

[madmitch]

7 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Seems like every block of shops here in Phuket a new joint is opened 

I was back for three weeks and it was ridiculous. Yet I don't think I saw more than one person in all these shops together. One shop in a street would be plenty but it's like the watermelon sellers at the side of the road; one opens, that son becomes two until there are fifty people selling exactly the same thing, simply splitting the limited amount of business between them. Unless they are money laundering operations, I don't expect too many of them will last.

 

I will add that the shops are possibly off-putting for family holidaymakers with kids.

[ignore it]

Weed shops and cafes competing.

 

It's the highest form of capitalism.

 

It'll all rationalize. Remember photo film processing, overseas call, internet places.

[Burma Bill]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The marijuana business has become a profitable activity in Thailand,

IMO Thailand's gone to pot!! Glad I no longer live in the country (personal choice).

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

But what is going to happen to all those businesses and the investment that went into them when Anutin's bill to legalise doesn't pass????

They will employ "doctors"

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

IMO Thailand's gone to pot!! Glad I no longer live in the country (personal choice).

Party proper comes to mind.

Don't bogart that joint.

[Freddy42OZ]

On 4/21/2023 at 7:11 AM, stoner said:

my cookies are so good....some even say that best. 

Making yourself?

I got a free cookie when buying some other stuff.  The cookie was delicious but the claimed 40mg of THC was probably not accurate as I felt very little from it.

[NextG]

18 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

IMO Thailand's gone to pot!! Glad I no longer live in the country (personal choice).

But here you are, still posting and reading about Thailand and trying to convince yourself and us that you are happy to not be here ????

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, NextG said:

But here you are, still posting and reading about Thailand and trying to convince yourself and us that you are happy to not be here ????

Yes, I do read about Thailand and post on AN whilst no longer living in the country (as do many others I am sure). During my 20 years living up north in Lanna and Isaan, I gained a lot of local knowledge and as a former Tourist Police Volunteer it has always been my main intention to pass on useful knowledge when requested or for advice.   Yes I do make the occasional quip but not in an offensive manner. I can assure you I am very happy not to be living in Thailand and have no intentions of ever returning - except possibly as a tourist like in November 2022 when I travelled from Siem Reap to attend the Royal British Legion Remembrance Day Service in Chiang Mai. I hope to continue to contribute to AN unless someone decides otherwise.

[NextG]

19 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes, I do read about Thailand and post on AN whilst no longer living in the country (as do many others I am sure). During my 20 years living up north in Lanna and Isaan, I gained a lot of local knowledge and as a former Tourist Police Volunteer it has always been my main intention to pass on useful knowledge when requested or for advice.   Yes I do make the occasional quip but not in an offensive manner. I can assure you I am very happy not to be living in Thailand and have no intentions of ever returning - except possibly as a tourist like in November 2022 when I travelled from Siem Reap to attend the Royal British Legion Remembrance Day Service in Chiang Mai. I hope to continue to contribute to AN unless someone decides otherwise.

So what useful knowledge did you pass on when you wrote that you are glad that you are no longer living in Thailand?

[Burma Bill]

4 hours ago, NextG said:

So what useful knowledge did you pass on

How to obtain hassle free Cambodian visas to folk who enquired of me.

Places to visit and sights to see in Northern Thailand (with photos)

Thai Road, rail and bus travel information etc.