Thailand moves to ban recreational cannabis use, 18 months after historic decriminalization

[webfact]

CNN — Thailand’s new government is moving ahead to pass new legisalation banning cannabis for recreational use in a major reversal 18 months after the country became the first in Asia to decriminalize the plant.

 

The relaxed laws saw a lucrative cannabis industry catering to locals and foreigners alike boom across the Southeast Asian nation, but a new conservative coalition government came to power late last year vowing to tighten the rules and only allow medical use.

 

A draft bill was released on Tuesday by Thailand’s health ministry outlining hefty fines or prison sentences of up to one year for offenders – or both.

 

Cannabis and cannabis-related products will be limited to medical and health purposes only, the bill states, echoing Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s pledge in September that his new government will “rectify” laws on cannabis within the next six months.

 

Smoking marijuana in public remained illegal even under the relaxed laws, but the proposed new laws will ban advertising and marketing campaigns for cannabis buds and extracts, and other cannabis products.

 

By Heather Chen and Kocha Olarn, CNN

Top picture: File photo for reference only

 

Full story: CNN 2024-01-11

 

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[2baht]

Total numpties!..........Why don't you go buy a submarine!!! 

[Crossy]

I'm afraid that genie is well and truly out of the bottle now.

 

No U turns possible.

[stoner]

BP updated on this yesterday. the headline in the BP says....draft bill on cannabis not finished says cholnan. what was forwarded was the health ministries views on the subject. 

 

then he goes on to state it is his firm belief that cannabis should be used strictly as medical. HIS VIEWS is the key phrase here. 

 

a khao san road business rep went on to say that it possibly generates 20 to 30 mb alone for khao san road per month. multiply that throughout the countries tourist areas and you have a large sum of money.

 

VERY large. 

 

 

[ezzra]

And no reasons given? there are thousands of Thais who have have invested heavily and started business in either

growing or selling cannabis, and now the wishy-washy government of dufuses headed by a billionaire are moving the

goal posts, what next? going back to the previous opening hours of bars and restaurants?...

[2baht]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

I'm afraid that genie is well and truly out of the bottle now.

 

No U turns possible.

Oh shucks.....the genie is much bigger than the bottle! What should we do pi Daeng, do you think we need a committee??? 

[Olmate]

Good news, stinking shops everywhere in Pattaya.

[stoner]

2 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Good news, stinking shops everywhere in Pattaya.

 

what an original comment that has never been posted on the cannabis threads. 

[Olmate]

1 minute ago, stoner said:

 

what an original comment that has never been posted on the cannabis threads. 

True non the less tho hey.

[JackGats]

6 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Good news, stinking shops everywhere in Pattaya.

Stinking people too, apparently.

[itsari]

20 minutes ago, stoner said:

BP updated on this yesterday. the headline in the BP says....draft bill on cannabis not finished says cholnan. what was forwarded was the health ministries views on the subject. 

 

then he goes on to state it is his firm belief that cannabis should be used strictly as medical. HIS VIEWS is the key phrase here. 

 

a khao san road business rep went on to say that it possibly generates 20 to 30 mb alone for khao san road per month. multiply that throughout the countries tourist areas and you have a large sum of money.

 

VERY large. 

 

 

And possibly a large amount of problems amongst the buyers too .

[stoner]

9 minutes ago, Olmate said:

True non the less tho hey.

 

depends on the person right. for example. i have a hard time with the lk metro soi bukhao area of pattaya. it stinks like piss beer and spunk all over the place. 

 

rather revolting but i bite my tongue as i walk into a stinky weed shop. 

[Olmate]

2 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

depends on the person right. for example. i have a hard time with the lk metro soi bukhao area of pattaya. it stinks like piss beer and spunk all over the place. 

 

rather revolting but i bite my tongue as i walk into a stinky weed shop. 

Says a lot about your lifestyle really, thats it in a nutshell.

[stoner]

5 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Says a lot about your lifestyle really, thats it in a nutshell.

 

are you really that obtuse ? it was presented as a situation not my life. thought that was abundantly clear. guess i have to slow it down for you a little next time.

 

[Denim]

Next up alcohol free beer and wine in the interests  of public health and safety.

Now that would be a really useful law.

[HappyExpat57]

8 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

are you really that obtuse ? it was presented as a situation not my life. thought that was abundantly clear. guess i have to slow it down for you a little next time.

 

 

Some folks are just arguments looking for a place to land. Usually lonely bored alcoholics.

[daveAustin]

Sad old dinosaurs can baulk all they want; weed made legal was a boon for Thailand, a real move forward. This illegal gov reneging on that puts it firmly back into old tyrant dinosaur territory. 

[Olmate]

5 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

are you really that obtuse ? it was presented as a situation not my life. thought that was abundantly clear. guess i have to slow it down for you a little next time.

 

It was presented as a lame 'whatabout the' for the grog and sex industry. Your predictable go to argument.

[stoner]

1 minute ago, Olmate said:

It was presented as a lame 'whatabout the' for the grog and sex industry. Your predictable go to argument.

 

ok big fella. 

[Celsius]

Get rid of stinky stuff.

 

 

[jacko45k]

8 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Sad old dinosaurs can baulk all they want; weed made legal was a boon for Thailand, a real move forward. This illegal gov reneging on that puts it firmly back into old tyrant dinosaur territory. 

How so? I have not yet seen all these wonderful benefits after 18 months. It has no impact on tourism, and most of the  weed shops I see are empty and dying on their feet. Surely the growers are not doing well with so limited a market... so much so that they resort to smuggling to other countries. If the best argument you have is to simply insult those who oppose, you must have a limited platform. 

[Ralf001]

hahahahahaha, wonder  how much money people that rushed to open weed shops will be flushing down the toilet !

[Peterw42]

I think its happening already, I live darkside pattaya and there are more ganja shops here than 7/11s and pharmacies combined.

But, I have noticed 2-3 shut down over the last month, and this is middle of high season.

There is also a couple of high profile YT and tiktok channels promoting falang ganja and kratom shops, I dont think the government will let them run much longer.

[Rhys]

Tommy Chong and Chee Martin, you are needed.....

 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Rhys said:

Tommy Chong and Chee Martin, you are needed.....

 

Used to love their stuff, very funny.

[bamnutsak]

"We drafted this law to prohibit the wrong usage of cannabis," Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew told media this week. "All recreational usage is wrong."

 

Published on the health ministry's website on Tuesday, the new draft will allow only medical and health uses of cannabis, while outlawing all types of recreational use.

 

It provides for fines of up to 60,000 baht ($1,700) for recreational use while advertisement or marketing campaigns regarding such use could draw jail terms of up to a year or fines ranging as high as 100,000 baht.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-seeks-public-opinion-draft-end-recreational-cannabis-use-2024-01-10/

 

 

 

 

[LS24]

1 hour ago, stoner said:

BP updated on this yesterday. the headline in the BP says....draft bill on cannabis not finished says cholnan. what was forwarded was the health ministries views on the subject. 

 

then he goes on to state it is his firm belief that cannabis should be used strictly as medical. HIS VIEWS is the key phrase here.

Have you checked the transations translations from Thai to english regarding the what was actually said in native tongue?

 

 

 

1 hour ago, stoner said:

a khao san road business rep went on to say that it possibly generates 20 to 30 mb alone for khao san road per month. multiply that throughout the countries tourist areas and you have a large sum of money.

 

VERY large.

A large figure indeed. Now that needs to be offset by the loss of families and others opposed to all tourist locations inundated with neon and LED storefronts advertising weed. The vast volume of spliff shops in some areas have taken the soul from many tourist locations. With the loss of the previous vibrance also goes the revenue from high spending families and others who don't want to bombarded with stonehead shops and passive smoke.

Find that figure and then assess the figure you quoted regarding KSR.

[LS24]

45 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

depends on the person right. for example. i have a hard time with the lk metro soi bukhao area of pattaya. it stinks like piss beer and spunk all over the place. 

 

rather revolting but i bite my tongue as i walk into a stinky weed shop. 

Why do you choose a stinky weed shop in such a place? There is a multitude of choices for stinky weed far away from the cum stained areas.

[Celsius]

5 minutes ago, LS24 said:

Why do you choose a stinky weed shop in such a place? There is a multitude of choices for stinky weed far away from the cum stained areas.

 

Isn't the answer obvious?

[LS24]

One local near me has invested heavily in a weed shop, a cafe beside the weed shop and then a weed bar. All high end finishes and quite stylish. In speaking with him on pre-opening drinks night, he did mention that he was taking a gamble and that he was concerned that legislation will eventually catch up with him. He does have a plan to pivot. He seems like a smart operator.

 

But there will be a lot of people selling cheap hydroponic set ups and others reneging on property leases. As regularly happens in Thailand, subtlety is not common. This could have easily just stepped into mainstream with no fanfare and existed happily in Thai society. But, no. Weed shops to counter the number of 7-11 in some locations ruined it for everyone.