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Let the good times roll? Bangkok becomes Southeast Asia's weed Wild West
In a Southeast Asian first, the kingdom removed parts of the marijuana plant from its narcotics list in June, effectively legalising the substance -– albeit with a confusing lack of detail.
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This photo taken on December 8, 2022 shows the co-owners of Zaza Medical gathering in front of one of their mobile medical cannabis dispensary trucks in Bangkok. From sleek boutique shopfronts to rickety street stalls, hundreds of cannabis dispensaries have sprouted across Bangkok following decriminalisation, but in a nation once infamous for being tough on drugs, giddy Thai vendors are asking: can the high times last?
(AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)
F
rom sleek boutiques to rickety stalls, hundreds of cannabis dispensaries have sprouted across Bangkok following decriminalisation, but in a nation once infamous for tough drug laws, Thai vendors are asking: can the high times last?
In a Southeast Asian first, the kingdom removed parts of the marijuana plant from its narcotics list in June, effectively legalising the substance -– albeit with a confusing lack of detail.
It could be a lucrative change for a tourism-heavy economy badly dented by the pandemic, with the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce predicting the market may be worth $1.2 billion by 2025.
But in the absence of clear regulations, Thailand is fast becoming a free-wheeling weed Wild West, sparking jitters among some suppliers that the rush may send everything up in smoke.
"The barrier to enter the market is so low," said Kajkanit "Gem" Sakdisubha, who started growing cannabis after his father was diagnosed with cancer.
His shop, named The Dispensary -- which looks more like a luxury goods store -- places an emphasis on locally sourced weed, administered by expert "bud-tenders".
"I know there's a lot of groups and other people that jump into the business because they see money in it, and there's not much passion in it," he said.
