Thailand: Southeast Asia's 'weed wonderland'

[webfact]

Weed is sold on street corners in various forms, including the popular Thai stick

 

By Jonathan Head
South East Asia correspondent

 

A new symbol has appeared in the kaleidoscopic jumble of neon signs that light up Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok's most international street. The sudden ubiquity of the five-pointed marijuana leaf, in lurid green, announces the spectacular boom there has been in weed-related businesses in Thailand since cannabis was decriminalised last June.

 

Walk two kilometres east of the BBC office in Bangkok, and you pass more than 40 dispensaries, selling potent marijuana flower buds and all the paraphernalia needed to smoke them.

 

Travel in the opposite direction, to the famous backpacker hangout of Khao San Road, and there is an entire marijuana-themed shopping mall, Plantopia, its shops half-hidden behind the haze of smoke created by customers trying out the product. The website Weed in Thailand lists more than 4,000 businesses across the country selling cannabis and its derivatives.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65345274

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2023-05-01

 

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[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Walk two kilometres east of the BBC office in Bangkok, and you pass more than 40 dispensaries, selling potent marijuana flower buds and all the paraphernalia needed to smoke them.

Medicinal use only Anutin promised...

[Karma80]

Stay classy, Thailand. The uncontrolled weed shops outnumbering 7-11 is a great look...

 

 

[jacko45k]

Just now, Karma80 said:

Stay classy, Thailand. The uncontrolled weed shops outnumbering 7-11 is a great look...

 

 

Weed shop, massage, 7-11 and tattoo parlour, that is all four corners covered everywhere!

[bignok]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Weed shop, massage, 7-11 and tattoo parlour, that is all four corners covered everywhere!

2/4 for me.

[Karma80]

11 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Weed shop, massage, 7-11 and tattoo parlour, that is all four corners covered everywhere!

I'm just glad there's no prostitution. Can you imagine the harm to the image that draws all the targeted high-end wealthy tourists?

[zzaa09]

Akin of the 1970s.

We've been there already, have we not?

[stoner]

weed has brought new opportunity in life for many thai. im sure the thousands of thai who now made a decent living off the industry are upset about the wonderland. 

[wombat]

As a kick start to an economy after covid.

I dips me lid to the bloke.

Smartest bestest political move ever.

KUDOS OLD MATE KUDOS.

[Jingthing]

It never hurt Amsterdam tourism.

Let a billion pot plants bloom.

[ignore it]

Pattaya 2d road all Indian restaurants, weed shops occasional 7/11, and massage places.

Bless em all.

[JackGats]

Kudos to Thailand and its allegedly undemocratic government for having brought this to pass! If something as pointless and as totalitarian as the war on drugs can ever be won, I wish it to be won by the drugs, not by the other side.

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by JackGats
nuancing

[Jingthing]

Weed may be a double edged sword but at least decriminalization allows both the public and the cannabis businesses pursuit of happiness.

[jvs]

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

It never hurt Amsterdam tourism.

Let a billion pot plants bloom.

It still is not "legal" in Holland.

[Jingthing]

6 hours ago, jvs said:

It still is not "legal" in Holland.

It's not legal in Thailand either wink wink nod nod.

[wombat]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

It's not legal in Thailand either 

er...yes it is...weed has been removed from the narcotics list.

[Jingthing]

13 minutes ago, wombat said:

er...yes it is...weed has been removed from the narcotics list.

Decriminalized. Not legalized. It's in limbo.

[Bday Prang]

On 5/1/2023 at 7:43 AM, wombat said:

As a kick start to an economy after covid.

I dips me lid to the bloke.

Smartest bestest political move ever.

KUDOS OLD MATE KUDOS.

Agreed, best thing since sliced bread.

[Bday Prang]

On 5/1/2023 at 11:29 AM, Jingthing said:

Weed may be a double edged sword but at least decriminalization allows both the public and the cannabis businesses pursuit of happiness.

Not to mention freedom of choice, as one can always refrain if one really wants to. The way some create on here one could be forgiven for thinking consumption was compulsory

[Bday Prang]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Decriminalized. Not legalized. It's in limbo.

Decriminalised is a better option , there's a lot to be said for limbo,  eg it  can still be smoked on election day, 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Bday Prang

[Bday Prang]

4 hours ago, wombat said:

er...yes it is...weed has been removed from the narcotics list.

It should really never have been on the narcotics list

[Bday Prang]

On 5/1/2023 at 9:58 AM, JackGats said:

Kudos to Thailand and its allegedly undemocratic government for having brought this to pass! If something as pointless and as totalitarian as the war on drugs can ever be won, I wish it to be won by the drugs, not by the other side.

 

Its pretty obvious the other side can never win, whatever happens

[Bday Prang]

16 hours ago, jvs said:

It still is not "legal" in Holland.

Its "legal" enough for most people

[bignok]

Pot is a loser drug.

[Bday Prang]

On 5/1/2023 at 6:05 AM, hotchilli said:

Medicinal use only Anutin promised...

That was just to keep the reefer madness types quiet, and other than a few narrow minded die hards it seems to have worked,

[josephbloggs]

3 minutes ago, bignok said:

Pot is a loser drug.

Thanks for your contribution.

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, bignok said:

Pot is a loser drug.

Looser more like.

[Jingthing]

11 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Decriminalised is a better option , there's a lot to be said for limbo,  eg it  can still be smoked on election day, 

Yeah but still always the threat of going backwards.

[JackGats]

18 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Decriminalised is a better option , there's a lot to be said for limbo,  eg it  can still be smoked on election day, 

In many countries that would be true. But maybe not in Thailand where "decriminalised" could mean no problem for Thais but still arrestable for foreigners.

[Bday Prang]

3 minutes ago, bignok said:

Pot is a loser drug.

It is not being forced on anybody !  You are perfectly at liberty to refrain, if that is what you think. But you have to accept that millions of people disagree