New Marijuana Law in Thailand that is attracting Tourism
The de facto legalization of marijuana or weed in Thailand last year has sparked a tourism boom despite the fact that the majority of Asian countries have rigid drug prohibitions with severe punishments. A Japanese traveler removes a gram of cannabis buds from a baggie he just purchased from a central Bangkok weed shop, grinds them up in a tiny black grinder, and then rolls them neatly into a joint.
Only a small drop onto the table of the smoking lounge and his cough when he lights up and takes a few deep breaths reveal that, up until two weeks ago, he had never used marijuana.
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Legalization of growing weeds in Thailand
As the first Asian nation to do so, Thailand has legalized cannabis cultivation, possession, and use in food and beverages with the goal of strengthening its agriculture and tourism industries. However, it is still illegal to smoke cannabis for recreational purposes.
Starting on Friday, the public health minister will distribute 1 million cannabis seeds to farmers in an effort to get them to start growing the plant.
Thailand will advance marijuana laws for therapeutic uses. It is not a problem if visitors come to Thailand for medical care or to purchase health-related goods, but it is incorrect to believe that you want to visit Thailand solely because you have read that cannabis or marijuana is legal there or to smoke joints without restriction.
“Stop coming. If your only goal in visiting this country is for that, we won’t welcome you.
Anutin, a former tycoon, also expressed his belief that through supporting agriculture, the Thai cannabis sector can increase revenue by billions of dollars.
Reason for Legalizing Cannabis
However, the Thai government has stated that it is only promoting cannabis for medical purposes, cautioning people looking to smoke for recreational purposes that doing so might still be considered a public nuisance and result in a three-month term and 25,000 Thai baht ($780) fine.
Apart from registering to do so and stating that it is for medical grounds, it currently appears that there will be little effort to monitor what people are allowed to cultivate and smoke at home. In 2018, Thailand approved the use of medical marijuana.
By reducing the potency of legal cannabis products, authorities want to stop an increase in recreational use. The substance that causes users to get high, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is still prohibited in products that have more than 0.2 percent of it.
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According to the health ministry, 1,181 goods, including food and cosmetics, that contain cannabis extracts have been certified, and by 2026, the business is predicted to generate up to 15 billion baht ($435.16 million).
Despite potential economic expansion, there are worries about how benefits would be distributed fairly following the reform.
The majority of cannabis businesses, like his, now only employ staff members who can communicate in English, the industry’s common language. Thongwilai stated, “You don’t need to speak great English, but you need to converse with foreigners.
According to him, the majority of his customers are Asian and about half of them are first-time marijuana users. Some people want to try cannabis edibles, but Thongwilai claimed he tries to encourage them to smoke instead. “Edibles take longer to take effect, and during that time people may eat more and more, leading to an excessive experience for beginners,” he claimed.
Contributed by Ankit Raj
Edited by Imtiaz Ullah