'A perfect mess': Thailand's proposed cannabis crackdown steeped in political games

[webfact]

 

Thailand’s cannabis buyers might soon need a doctor’s note. But business operators say a draft bill’s clampdown on recreational weed could derail a fast-growing industry and hinder health advancements.
 

BANGKOK: On a weekday afternoon, more and more people start slowly filing into a subterranean plaza off Bangkok’s iconic Khaosan Road - for decades a tourist hub in the Thai capital.

 

The underground space, formerly home to a supermarket, is lined with small shops and tables and chairs and is cool and breezy. It has to be.

 

Air filtration systems are required to be installed here to keep the mostly international tourist crowd comfortable, and more pertinently, clear the haze of thick marijuana smoke.

 

This is Plantopia, also known as Weed City. Multiple stores exclusively sell cannabis and related paraphernalia - and customers can smoke it on the spot.

 

For nearly two years, Thailand has witnessed the runaway expansion of the cannabis industry. It is estimated that some 20,000 registered dispensaries have opened since 2022, when the country became the first in Southeast Asia to decriminalise the recreational use of marijuana. Its medicinal use was legalised since 2018.

 

But the days of such unfettered, unrestricted cannabis use in Thailand could be numbered, as the government debates how to place stricter guardrails on the rampant industry.

 

The country’s health minister is central to a push to ban the recreational use of cannabis by the end of the year. According to Dr Cholnan Srikaew, changes to the law are currently being negotiated before being presented to Cabinet this month. 

A Bill is expected to be presented to parliament before the current session ends in October.

 

by Jack Board

TOP: The cannabis industry has flourished in Thailand since laws about the drug's cultivation and sale were changed. (Photo: Jack Board/CNA)

 

Full story: Channel News Asia 2024-03-11

 

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[flyingtlger]

Me thinks, it's way too late.

The cat is out of the bag.......

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

Me thinks, it's way too late.

The cat is out of the bag.......

TIT.

 

The hub of messing things up.

 

bob.

[Dcheech]

13 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

Me thinks, it's way too late.

The cat is out of the bag.......

 

That does not mean they cannot screw things up even more if they work at it and it seems they are working at it. That 60K fine for possesion, you can bet the local plod will go full in on that. Have it available, yet illegal for most like ... wait for it .... tourists. Being the kind hearted souls they are, they may accept a bit less to let the 'crim' walk.  WooHoo! Happy Days Are Here Again.

[bamnutsak]

The transition, were it to happen, from recreational use to medical use only will be fascinating to watch.

 

Of course it will be a mess. But not a perfect one. This government will find a way to muck it up.

 

 

from the linked article...

 

The final result could be a deliberately opaque law that delivers some political windfalls for all sides.

 

“This is going to be up to the political decision by the prime minister which requires quite a lot of courage to fix this matter,” he said.

 

“Politically speaking, it is up to them whether they will be concerned more about public benefits or their own political benefits.”

 

 

Interesting that the primary consideration seems to be "politics" rather than "health" or "public benefits".

 

 

 

 

 

[Andre0720]

The saddest part is the amount of money spent on soft drugs, tobacco and cannabis, is quite significant, and affects primarily less educated men.

Money not going towards more important things. (Like supporting your own children)....

[realfunster]

It seems difficult to wind this back both on retail and production.

 

I expect some tightening of licensing & regulations may be implemented. 
These might, coincidentally, limit the licenses to, ahem, “approved”, producers and vendors to reap the benefits. 

 

For sure, there’s been foreign companies investing heavily in this space, and setting up production facilities here for export back to US/Canada. It would be disastrous for foreign investor confidence and possibly lead to legal actions if they fully retrace to the previous laws.

[bamnutsak]

9 minutes ago, realfunster said:

and setting up production facilities here for export back to US/Canada

 

I think it is illegal to import cannabis into any state in the U.S. States have very strict seed-to-sale rules/laws.

 

Not sure about Canada? Maybe export is OK for "Scientific" purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stoner]

as of the other day the government was still issuing all and any permits or licenses available under the current system. things have not slowed down that way. 

[stoner]

3 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

I think it is illegal to import cannabis into any state in the U.S. States have very strict seed-to-sale rules/laws.

 

Not sure about Canada? Maybe export is OK for "Scientific" purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

extremely difficult to import cannabis into canada. even under legal avenues.

[Guderian]

The government should get its act together and simply start taxing weed, like it does tobacco and alcohol. The cheap prices here will go up a bit, but not enough to really concern anyone, and the government will get more funds to buy its submarine, or whatever's on the current wish list. Everyone's a winner!

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

This is Plantopia, also known as Weed City. Multiple stores exclusively sell cannabis and related paraphernalia - and customers can smoke it on the spot.

And Anutin said it was going to be for medicinal use only... and regulated

Give a Thai an inch they'll take a mile.

[Thingamabob]

5 hours ago, Andre0720 said:

The saddest part is the amount of money spent on soft drugs, tobacco and cannabis, is quite significant, and affects primarily less educated men.

Money not going towards more important things. (Like supporting your own children)....

"Affects primarily less educated men". Wherever did you get that idea ?

[HappyExpat57]

Even stronger than the fragrance of cannabis is the smell of money not going into politicians' pockets.

 

 

[daveAustin]

The country’s health minister blah blah? Don’t make me laugh. The cannabis industry here has been a resounding success. There are not mass casualties or extra drunkenness on the roads, are there? The country has not regressed to third world status, has it? It has given the average Joe massive release from pain and anxiety. I have not indulged for months, but it is nice to have the choice without being hamstrung by governmental bs. This crap now has dinosaur written all over it. Lay off, you sad demented old men. Don’t do it if you don’t like it but stop pushing your bs view on others. These a-holes would have it like my own pathetic country if they could. 

[zyxwv]

 

You must be from Australia or some other backward cojntry in the financial hands of beer lobbyists.

 

[curlylekan]

For a country that relies and cares so much about tourism, marijuana opens up a lot more of it, way more than taking a small tax of alcohol. Taking 300 baht off alcohol or allow alcohol sales in the middle of the day is not going to change really anyone's mind about where they travel, but open up a whole new industry in a region of the world where these things can come to the death penalty, and you'll get a whole lot of new tourists.

 

We have yet to see mass casualties, road conditions go any worse, mass chaos throughout the country. You just need better regulation. It not need be an all or nothing enterprise. 

 

Then again, this is Thailand. When we westerners attach our mindset with those of the Thai people, we get lost in the whole system.

[Andre0720]

3 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

"Affects primarily less educated men". Wherever did you get that idea ?

From simple observation sir.

 

Appears that all pick up drivers smoke for example. All the people in the vicinity of where I stay smoke. And there are no doctors amongst them. All the blue collar workers, they all, I mean all have a cigarette on their lips while working. Blue collar workers, you might understand, possess a lower level of formal education.

Nobody, simply nobody at the Bangkok hospital smoke as another example. Just about all workers in there have a higher level of education. Go see for yourself. Walk around the hospital, no ashtrays outside of the hospital, no cigarette butts on the ground. In the streets close by, no smokers, as well, as much as I could see while walking around each time I go there.

The lawyer i go see for my visa, no ashtrays or cigarette butts outside his office. All of his staff has a higher level of education.

 

Anything else that you would like me to educate you on?

[Bday Prang]

53 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

From simple observation sir.

 

Appears that all pick up drivers smoke for example. All the people in the vicinity of where I stay smoke. And there are no doctors amongst them. All the blue collar workers, they all, I mean all have a cigarette on their lips while working. Blue collar workers, you might understand, possess a lower level of formal education.

Nobody, simply nobody at the Bangkok hospital smoke as another example. Just about all workers in there have a higher level of education. Go see for yourself. Walk around the hospital, no ashtrays outside of the hospital, no cigarette butts on the ground. In the streets close by, no smokers, as well, as much as I could see while walking around each time I go there.

The lawyer i go see for my visa, no ashtrays or cigarette butts outside his office. All of his staff has a higher level of education.

 

Anything else that you would like me to educate you on?

PLenty of relatively  low educated people work in hospitals, they are not all doctors,  did you not know that ?  the reason hospitals don't have ashtrays is because smoking is not allowed on the premises, therefore ashtrays are not required,   now you have been educated

All pick up drivers smoke do they?  what a ridiculous statement.   Although, as somebody who needs to consult with a lawyer in order to obtain a visa, your basic education is obviously incomplete.   How many do you smoke per day,?  I suggest you pause for thought before answering

[drrobert]

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

And Anutin said it was going to be for medicinal use only... and regulated

Give a Thai an inch they'll take a mile.

I have recently researched the legal framework with colleagues, and regardless of what Anutin says he did legalise recreational cannabis use. (See Clause 1(3) in the attached Notification)

He had a policy without a plan. Our recommendation is that if they want to recriminalize possession adopt the Netherlands model. You cannot put the genie back into the bottle!    

20220208 Notifcation Nac 5 2565.pdf

[jvs]

1 hour ago, Andre0720 said:

From simple observation sir.

 

Appears that all pick up drivers smoke for example. All the people in the vicinity of where I stay smoke. And there are no doctors amongst them. All the blue collar workers, they all, I mean all have a cigarette on their lips while working. Blue collar workers, you might understand, possess a lower level of formal education.

Nobody, simply nobody at the Bangkok hospital smoke as another example. Just about all workers in there have a higher level of education. Go see for yourself. Walk around the hospital, no ashtrays outside of the hospital, no cigarette butts on the ground. In the streets close by, no smokers, as well, as much as I could see while walking around each time I go there.

The lawyer i go see for my visa, no ashtrays or cigarette butts outside his office. All of his staff has a higher level of education.

 

Anything else that you would like me to educate you on?

Are you not educated enough to be able to do ,your own visa application?

Or is that below you?

No smoking inside a hospital?

I wonder what is next?
 

[Bday Prang]

38 minutes ago, drrobert said:

I have recently researched the legal framework with colleagues, and regardless of what Anutin says he did legalise recreational cannabis use. (See Clause 1(3) in the attached Notification)

He had a policy without a plan. Our recommendation is that if they want to recriminalize possession adopt the Netherlands model. You cannot put the genie back into the bottle!    

20220208 Notifcation Nac 5 2565.pdf 62.5 kB · 0 downloads

I hope that finally put an end to the endless whinging from some on here " but but but Anuyin said"  etc etc

[RandiRona]

Soon just like prostitution doesn’t exist in Thailand, weed would cease to exist.

[morrobay]

12 hours ago, Andre0720 said:

From simple observation sir.

 

Appears that all pick up drivers smoke for example. All the people in the vicinity of where I stay smoke. And there are no doctors amongst them. All the blue collar workers, they all, I mean all have a cigarette on their lips while working. Blue collar workers, you might understand, possess a lower level of formal education.

Nobody, simply nobody at the Bangkok hospital smoke as another example. Just about all workers in there have a higher level of education. Go see for yourself. Walk around the hospital, no ashtrays outside of the hospital, no cigarette butts on the ground. In the streets close by, no smokers, as well, as much as I could see while walking around each time I go there.

The lawyer i go see for my visa, no ashtrays or cigarette butts outside his office. All of his staff has a higher level of education.

 

Anything else that you would like me to educate you on?

Of course your right about tobacco use in the less educated, even Stevie Wonder could see that. The mistake you made was the cannabis and tobacco reference 

 

[Andre0720]

12 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

PLenty of relatively  low educated people work in hospitals, they are not all doctors,  did you not know that ?  the reason hospitals don't have ashtrays is because smoking is not allowed on the premises, therefore ashtrays are not required,   now you have been educated

All pick up drivers smoke do they?  what a ridiculous statement.   Although, as somebody who needs to consult with a lawyer in order to obtain a visa, your basic education is obviously incomplete.   How many do you smoke per day,?  I suggest you pause for thought before answering

What a stupid answer.....

 

Smoking not allowed on the premises of hospitals. Fine. So that is why I walked around the hospital many times, outside, on side streets, looking for hospital staff going out to get their 'fix'. Nothing.

If you thought that a stupid argument like that could educate anyone, I am wondering about your level of education as well....

 

And about the use of a lawyer to obtain a visa, I wrote many times about this before. Simply because it was the only option. I could not leave Thailand to renew my visa, and I could not stay, for the Covid years.

 

May I respectfully suggest to you that you pause your thought before answering, as I am too educated to smoke a known cancer causing useless product, called tobacco.

Suggesting things that you know nothing about suggest that you definitely do not possess a scientific mind.

 

Educational attainment and cigarette smoking: a causal ...

Oxford Academic

https://academic.oup.com › ije › article

by SE Gilman · 2008 · Cited by 285 — Background Despite abundant evidence that lower education is associated with a higher risk of smoking.

 

Economics of tobacco: education, income, and smoking

Truth Initiative

https://truthinitiative.org › targeted-communities › econo...

Aug 4, 2559 BE — Tobacco use declines to 10.2 percent among adults with an undergraduate degree and to 6.4 percent among adults with a graduate degree.

[Andre0720]

1 hour ago, morrobay said:

Of course your right about tobacco use in the less educated, even Stevie Wonder could see that. The mistake you made was the cannabis and tobacco reference 

 

 No mistake there sir.

All the men downstairs here who come to buy cannabis products, they all smoke, all. They gather around together, smoking and taking cannabis products.

So yes, the same, I never saw anybody at the Bangkok Hospital coming outside to get their fix of cannabis products, along with a fix of nicotine.

None, so the same....

[morrobay]

25 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

 No mistake there sir.

All the men downstairs here who come to buy cannabis products, they all smoke, all. They gather around together, smoking and taking cannabis products.

So yes, the same, I never saw anybody at the Bangkok Hospital coming outside to get their fix of cannabis products, along with a fix of nicotine.

None, so the same....

[rexpotter]

Part of the reason weed is legal is to help stop the flow of it from Burma.

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, Andre0720 said:

What a stupid answer.....

 

Smoking not allowed on the premises of hospitals. Fine. So that is why I walked around the hospital many times, outside, on side streets, looking for hospital staff going out to get their 'fix'. Nothing.

If you thought that a stupid argument like that could educate anyone, I am wondering about your level of education as well....

 

And about the use of a lawyer to obtain a visa, I wrote many times about this before. Simply because it was the only option. I could not leave Thailand to renew my visa, and I could not stay, for the Covid years.

 

May I respectfully suggest to you that you pause your thought before answering, as I am too educated to smoke a known cancer causing useless product, called tobacco.

Suggesting things that you know nothing about suggest that you definitely do not possess a scientific mind.

 

Educational attainment and cigarette smoking: a causal ...

Oxford Academic

https://academic.oup.com › ije › article

by SE Gilman · 2008 · Cited by 285 — Background Despite abundant evidence that lower education is associated with a higher risk of smoking.

 

Economics of tobacco: education, income, and smoking

Truth Initiative

https://truthinitiative.org › targeted-communities › econo...

Aug 4, 2559 BE — Tobacco use declines to 10.2 percent among adults with an undergraduate degree and to 6.4 percent among adults with a graduate degree.

You need to get a life, walking around hospital premises looking for evidence of smoking is not normal behavior by anybody's standards,  even somebody with a very limited education like me can see that.

  Using a"lawyer" to obtain a visa is the sole preserve of peoplle who either do not know the system of fail to meet the requirements , Plenty of people managed during Covid without resorting to that

  So you consider yourself "too educated " to smoke,  personally I would expect you to get through 60 a day 

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, Andre0720 said:

 No mistake there sir.

All the men downstairs here who come to buy cannabis products, they all smoke, all. They gather around together, smoking and taking cannabis products.

So yes, the same, I never saw anybody at the Bangkok Hospital coming outside to get their fix of cannabis products, along with a fix of nicotine.

None, so the same....

Maybe after seeing you loitering around hospital premises the smokers retreated to their designated smoking area to avoid your intrusive prying eyes.  People who want to smoke will do so regardless of your opinions   The smoking of cannabis in public is generally discouraged and could lead to prosecution, and somebody with your claimed "high education" should be aware that users of cannabis do not need or crave " a fix"      You have been watching reefer madness again haven't you?   Another know it all who know  clearly knows nothing