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Thailand Shuts Over 7,000 Cannabis Shops Amid Regulatory Shakeup

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19 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Did you even read the article?

It says this:

"Existing cannabis shops with valid licences are permitted to operate until their permits expire."

Probably can't read 🤣😂

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  • PingRoundTheWorld
    PingRoundTheWorld

    While I personally have no problem with people smoking whatever the **** they want at home, there's still plenty of tourists who stink up the place in public. Aside from the fact most tourists aren't

  • KhunHeineken
    KhunHeineken

    It's not just the product for sale that generates money within the economy. It's also the leases on commercial properties, the rural growers, the employment of staff, the utilities bills, constructio

  • KhunHeineken
    KhunHeineken

    Did you even read the article? It says this: "Existing cannabis shops with valid licences are permitted to operate until their permits expire."

Posted Images

This is a truly horrific development for Thailand, it sets the nation back two decades, it puts Thailand into the category of nations that are truly regressive, and it's an enormous betrayal to the youthful entrepreneurs who sunk billions upon billions into the industry with a promise from the government that they simply could not keep, from one administration to another.

Dinosaur mentality. Woe is Thailand with the current batch of retrogrades leading the country.

Reefer_Madness_(1936).jpg

17 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

Elections are just a month away. Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat noted a new minister could either continue his new regulation or scrap it, depending on policy direction.

This is just another noisy nothing-burger 🤫

Let us hope you're right because otherwise this would be an enormous step in the wrong direction for Thailand.

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19 minutes ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Well at least they won't be killin kids anymore with their damn drugs.

What? Are you saying Cannabis is killing kids?

You are way off some where,alcohol fueled maybe?

One of the most ignorant replies i have seen .

It is Yaba and alcohol that are doing the killing !!!! Don't you agree?

2 hours ago, Kenny Boy said:

Hopefully that figure will reach 20000 this year.

Public use is out of control by the selfish dependents.

Public use is out of control, people were openly smoking weed on the beach on Koh Larn over the New Year no one smokes cigarettes on the beach but the weed smokers appear to think they are exempt from that.

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20 minutes ago, Toby1947 said:

There's only one Dumbo here, read the article, allowed to operate until present licence expires. Go have a big fat reefer whilst you can Dumbo 🤣😂🤣

Can you read English?

If so what does this say here....

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has confirmed the closure of more than 7,000 cannabis shops

To help you......It says 7000 shops have been closed...

Which would be very noticeable, considering this is about one-fourth of all weed shops...

No way 7000 weed shops have closed...I doubt any have closed.

So whos Dumb?

Change to regulation just to ensure police families have sustained living standards.

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15 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

While I personally have no problem with people smoking whatever the **** they want at home, there's still plenty of tourists who stink up the place in public. Aside from the fact most tourists aren't even aware it's illegal to smoke it in public - the availability as a selling point to tourists brings around the wrong kind of tourists (broke stoners aren't exactly quality nor do they contribute much to the economy).

So yeah- scrap it. No problem!

NOt every stoner is broke. Isnt Elon a stoner? Well...maybe he is just an actor or cyborg playing the part of the wealthiest man on earth...but if I told you a friend who has been hopelessly stoned for 4 decades is also a brilliant coder who has earned 6 figures for decades I dont think it would mean much. Some are quite functional actually. Not myself, its strictly a once a week thing to do with once a week drinking.

2 hours ago, Homburg said:

Hippies? Proof that time-travel is real?

Absolutely! Hippies pioneered it, travelers of both time and space, termites of the universe stinking it up with pot smoke, garlic breath and poor hygiene!

18 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

It's not just the product for sale that generates money within the economy. It's also the leases on commercial properties, the rural growers, the employment of staff, the utilities bills, construction and maintenance of the shops, the supply chain employment etc. It's become a huge industry, very quickly. Too much money for the Thai's to walk away from.

It hasn't become a huge industry, very quickly, it just stepped out of the shadows. When cannabis was decriminalized, thousands of shops popped up over night. They went from selling on the black market to legitimate businesses almost overnight. That's not possible with a product that needs almost 6 months to grow, harvest, cure, package, and distribute.

20 hours ago, redwood1 said:

I bet a big fat reefer that a drive around town will show almost all weed shops still open....

And as far as their new dumb rules....Only lip service will be paid to the rules while being ignored like most other rules are ignored...

Yes the one up the rd. on the corner is still open for business as usual, curtains drawn.

Looks like you can smoke inside, no change in many around Hua Hin.

Did not see any in Korat though they must be there, did not drive around the city much but noticed none.

1 hour ago, wombat said:

I disagree... It was the kickstart the economy needed to recover from Covid.
And it worked.

Then why did GDP growth in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Philippines all outpace Thailand in 2025? Doesn't seem to be much of a magic elixir for the Thai economy.

21 hours ago, redwood1 said:

I bet a big fat reefer that a drive around town will show almost all weed shops still open....

And as far as their new dumb rules....Only lip service will be paid to the rules while being ignored like most other rules are ignored...

I was thinking the same thing, the weed shop up the road from me is open-all hours, even at 04:30 when I pass it on my way to the park there's always a few motorcycles outside with youngsters in the shop.

Not sure how long the licences they have run for?

I bet my last baht the new rues will be over-looked when the time comes around to renew

2 hours ago, Quack said:

Most of the people saying that are miserable old farang pensioners commenting from their isolated Isan homes, deprived of any proper emotional connection, causing their vile prejudices to fester. From what I've seen, most cannabis shop owners are smart, young Thai people who are very well-educated and very knowledgeable and doing very well for themselves.

Tell me why you smoke before you label anyone you do not know 😎

All the negative emotions to perfectly common sense posts where it says, I do not care you smoke,

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is a truly horrific development for Thailand, it sets the nation back two decades, it puts Thailand into the category of nations that are truly regressive, and it's an enormous betrayal to the youthful entrepreneurs who sunk billions upon billions into the industry with a promise from the government that they simply could not keep, from one administration to another.

Dinosaur mentality. Woe is Thailand with the current batch of retrogrades leading the country.

Reefer_Madness_(1936).jpg

They invested in something that wasn't ment to be, and most who saw it and said so, well never mind.

I got a new year resolution to maintain. Not been easy at all, to much going on 🫩

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

They invested in something that wasn't ment to be, and most who saw it and said so, well never mind.

I got a new year resolution to maintain. Not been easy at all, to much going on 🫩

Well you failed in your resolution. You just cant keep you mouth shut. Once again a rant by our resident anti weed member. We know dude, you dont have to remind us on every thread about it.

I favour legalisation of the use of all drugs but, at the same time, regulate, control and tax.

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1 minute ago, marin said:

Well you failed in your resolution. You just cant keep you mouth shut. Once again a rant by our resident anti weed member. We know dude, you dont have to remind us on every thread about it.

It is more entertaining now than before 🤗😎

All the chill happy people, turns out to be the most toxic people if looking at the way of debating and handing out negative responses.

22 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Did you even read the article?

It says this:

"Existing cannabis shops with valid licences are permitted to operate until their permits expire."

And then they will get new permits after the news item fades away.

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Tell me why you smoke before you label anyone you do not know 😎

All the negative emotions to perfectly common sense posts where it says, I do not care you smoke,

They invested in something that wasn't ment to be, and most who saw it and said so, well never mind.

I got a new year resolution to maintain. Not been easy at all, to much going on 🫩

I suppose one could take a somewhat philosophical approach and say it wasn't meant to be since they are now revoking the privilege, but the government made a promise that they are not keeping and billions upon billions will be lost in the process. So no argument and no justification can be found for this regressive and reptilian behavior.

19 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

While I personally have no problem with people smoking whatever the **** they want at home, there's still plenty of tourists who stink up the place in public. Aside from the fact most tourists aren't even aware it's illegal to smoke it in public - the availability as a selling point to tourists brings around the wrong kind of tourists (broke stoners aren't exactly quality nor do they contribute much to the economy).

So yeah- scrap it. No problem!

As you, I have no problem with people smoking / eating what they like, but scrapping it is the usual "sledgehammer to crack a nut approach"

IMO, law enforcement would be the better route, but you only have to look at how many bars allow smoking of conventional cigarettes to realise that is unlikely.

Then, as we all know, the driving rules are very selectively enforced, often, allegedly, for financial gain.

I would suggest that even if "dope" is scrapped, there will still be many establishments allowing it in return for favourable treatment from the powers that be.

6 hours ago, Slowhand225 said:

So the headline is a lie then.

I didn't say that.

The member suggest they were all closed down by authorities, yet still open.

Why wouldn't they still be LEGAL open when they have a current and valid permit?

5 hours ago, Toby1947 said:

Probably can't read 🤣😂

If that the case, he should have got the Thai missus to read the article to him. 🤣

22 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

Elections are just a month away. Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat noted a new minister could either continue his new regulation or scrap it, depending on policy direction.

This is just another noisy nothing-burger 🤫

But it should smell better when it passes.

59 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I suppose one could take a somewhat philosophical approach and say it wasn't meant to be since they are now revoking the privilege, but the government made a promise that they are not keeping and billions upon billions will be lost in the process. So no argument and no justification can be found for this regressive and reptilian behavior.

Again, the intention was never legalizing recreational smoking

I have answered this so many times now, so once more

AI says

In 2022, Thailand became the first Asian nation to decriminalize cannabis; however, the official intent of the policy was to promote medical, health, and economic use, not recreational smoking. Although a legal vacuum between 2022 and 2025 allowed recreational usage to flourish, the government has since re-criminalized it for non-medical purposes.

3 hours ago, Noah K said:

It hasn't become a huge industry, very quickly

Really?

Legalized in 2022 and by 2025 it became a $1.3 billion USD industry.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/asean/heady-highs-desperate-lows-inside-thailands-return-medical-only-cannabis

"Before the policy changes took effect, Thailand’s cannabis industry was valued at about US$1.3 billion"

3 hours ago, Noah K said:

When cannabis was decriminalized, thousands of shops popped up over night.

"Over night" sounds pretty quick to me. 🙂

3 hours ago, Noah K said:

They went from selling on the black market to legitimate businesses almost overnight. That's not possible with a product that needs almost 6 months to grow, harvest, cure, package, and distribute.

You are kidding yourself if you think the black market, prior to legalization, was just as big as the current commercial, and legal, market.

Light yourself up another one. 🙂

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