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.
I was there this summer and finding cannabis was not hard. One tourist place there was literally woman walking around holding a tray of selection trying to get the attention of foreigners to sell. Like in an old fashion casino. The rule was you could only use the stuff in designated areas but no one was enforcing. Every tourist bar has people using it. Hemp does grow wild there and they been making tea for selling for who knows how long.
From what I gathered the market exploded, got oversaturated, and now places are starting up/dying every month. I guess like vape stores in the West.