Do You Truly Understand Thailand's New Marijuana Legalization Status?

Do You Truly Understand Thailand's New Marijuana Legalization Status?

You've undoubtedly heard the big news already. Marijuana, cannabis, ganja, weed, grass, whatever you choose to call it, has been legalized in Thailand.

The government removed cannabis and hemp plants from its narcotics list a few days ago (on June 9, 2022). The Public Health Ministry legalized all cannabis parts back in February after the Narcotics Code was modified December 9, 2021, but the new regulation didn't take effect until June 9.

The plant can now be used as a cash crop for medical purposes. However, the law permits only low-potency marijuana. Extracts containing over 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the plant's psychotropic component) are banned.

The bold move is part of an effort to capitalize on the growing demand for infused food and beverages and wellness treatments.

People can grow cannabis for personal use and companies for food, cosmetics, and other products. First, however, growers must notify authorities and obtain a permit to cultivate the crop for commercial use. For personal use, growers just have to register on FDA's Plookganja app (FDA).

In addition, food and beverage companies must follow the Food Act when introducing cannabis. cannabis-based cosmetics must conform with the Cosmetics Act; manufacturers of cannabis-based medicines fall under the Medicine Act.

The government started distributing 1 million cannabis seeds to encourage growers on Friday, June 10, adding to the perception that Thailand is becoming a pot paradise.




Agricultural Tourism: A Boost for the Economy

Thailand has loosened its cannabis restrictions to stimulate the agriculture and tourism sectors. It envisions a boom in high-end cannabis tourism, with farms, spas and other cannabis-supporting businesses strengthening rural economies and the country's suffering (from the pandemic) economy overall.

Carl K Linn, the author of a newsletter about cannabis in Thailand, sees foreign tourism potential in the delisting of cannabis. He said:


A lot of people come here to get their faces fixed with plastic surgery. A lot of people come to do dental work and oral surgery, and wellness retreats. Within that context, marijuana will integrate beautifully.

It became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical marijuana in 2018. Shocking as it is known for its strict no-drugs stance. Thailand has a long history of being an authoritarian country regarding drug crimes. Even cannabis, which the UN considers a "less dangerous drug," carried a 15-yearprison sentence. However, the recent announcement that it will be delisted as a narcotic will surely shift how the drug is used and perceived within the country.

Indeed, as of 2018, the number of cafes and eateries selling cannabis-infused food and drinks has been rising. These companies were granted permission to sell hemp and CBD-infused products that don't get users high. CBD is the non-psychoactive compound of marijuana with therapeutic benefits. They are banking on the resurgence of international travellers for customers, whose numbers dropped precipitously during the pandemic but have begun to pick up again.

Many envision cannabis as a boost for the medical and wellness industry, luring "Silicon Valley types" on business trips. The country's vision is not to turn the nation into a "stoner paradise" but a high-end retreat destination - somewhere for the luxury-seekers to unwind and enhance their wellbeing.



For example, A Thai central hospital's spa restaurant is now serving marijuana. The Abhaibhubejhr Day Spa at the Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri serves patients dishes and drinks made with marijuana leaves.

Authorities are also considering a "cannabis sandbox" to allow tourists to use cannabis recreationally in specific regions. The aim would be to create centralized destinations synonymous with cannabis to contain its recreational use while supplementing the country's overall tourism industry.


Marijuana is Legal, but Smoking It is Not

After June 9, recreational cannabis use is still ambiguous. Thailand's government promotes cannabis for medical use but discourages smoking in public. Warnings have been made that doing so is considered a "smell nuisance" subjectable to a 25,000 baht ($780) fine and three-month imprisonment as a public nuisance charge under the Public Health Act.

Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, deputy permanent secretary of the public health ministry, told Thai media:

The department of health [will] issue an announcement determining that the smell and smoke from cannabis and hemp is a cause of nuisance under the Public Health Act.



Pol Gen Roy Inkhapairote, the Deputy National Police Chief in command of narcotics prevention and suppression, stated that smoking marijuana is no longer illegal if it doesn't disturb others.

He also said that possession of cannabis buds or plants is not illegal, no matter the amount. However, possession for personal use or commercial purposes of marijuana containing THC exceeding 0.2% by weight without approval from the Thai Food and Drug Administration, a permit or doctor's certificate is still illegal. In addition, possession of imported cannabis extracts is unlawful.


How the Law Revision Affected Those With Criminal Records from Cannabis

The removal of marijuana from Thailand's Category 5 narcotics list freed cannabis-related convicts and wiped their criminal records clean. Over 3,000 inmates were released on June 9, thanks to the decriminalization of cannabis.

Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin reported that 4,075 people were doing time for cannabis-related drug offences. Of these, 1,004 were also convicted of other charges and didn't benefit from the legislation reform; they must continue serving their other sentences. However, courts will amend their rulings to expunge the cannabis or hemp convictions.

Gloria Lai, the International Drug Policy Consortium's regional director for Asia, elaborated in an interview:


People facing cannabis-related charges will see them dropped, and money and cannabis seized from people charged with cannabis-related offences will be returned to their owners grounded in principles of human rights, health and development.

In addition, all pending cannabis or hemp cases with the court, prosecutors, or police must be dropped or dismissed.


Best Places to Find Cannabis on Koh Phangan and Surrounding Areas

Are you looking to take advantage of this new freedom but don't know where to find good cannabis products? If you live in Koh Phangan or plan to visit soon, check out the following locations for the best cannabis-infused goodies!


Mamma Mia



Mamma Mia's menu and items are delicious, and the staff is always delighted to see you. They bake daily with love and ganja, so everything is fresh and guaranteed to make you happy!


Chanabis (Found Exclusively at Kali in Thong Sala)



Chanabis owners Minsida and John are enthusiastic about tea and changing how people view cannabis. They make calming CBD-infused teas, cannabis terpenes, and spa goods.


Nira’s Bakery



Nira's Bakery and her family opened the island's first international and European bakery in 1985. Ever since, they've been serving the widest selection of cakes, pastries, breads, sandwiches, drinks, local handcrafted products, and now cannabis-infused baked goods.


The Bud Lounge



The Bud Lounge offers medical cannabis cuisine & drinks sourced from local farmers, leading the Thai cannabis business.


KD Koh Phangan Cannabis & Herbs Club



The Cannabis Club organized a ganja fair the day marijuana became legal. It took place at Phangan Community Garden. Locals and foreigners celebrated pot independence with live music and cannabis booths.


Sri Thanu Food Market and Big C Market

Both locations have stalls selling cannabis products. At Big C, you'll find one outside the front entrance every day and also on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during their night market. At Sri Thanu's Food Market, it's the first stall on the left.


Koh Phangan Coconut Farmer Group



Koh Phangan Coconut Farmer Group sold cannabis-infused coconut oil at the Cannabis Club's fair.


Anantara Spa (Koh Samui)

Anantara Spa launched a cannabis-infused treatment menu. Anantara Spa harnesses cannabis for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving qualities. It offers new exquisite spa treatments that showcase the plant's many advantages, from soothing the mind to relieving pain.

Thailand legalises growing cannabis and eases consumption rules

Thailand legalises growing cannabis and eases consumption rules

Thailand becomes first Asian country to legalise growing of the drug and its consumption in food and drinks.Thailand’s government says it is promoting cannabis for medical use only and smoking it recreationally remains illegal [Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo]
Published On 9 Jun 20229 Jun 2022


Thailand has legalised the growing and possession of cannabis and its consumption in food and drinks, the first Asian country to do so, with the aim of boosting its agriculture and tourism sectors – but smoking it recreationally is still against the law.

The public health minister is planning to distribute 1 million cannabis seedlings, starting Friday, to encourage farmers to take up its cultivation.

However, Thailand’s government has said it is promoting cannabis for medical use only, warning those eager to light up for fun that smoking in public could still be considered a nuisance, subject to a potential three-month sentence and 25,000 Thai baht ($780) fine.

So far, it appears there will be no effort to police what people can grow and smoke at home, aside from registering to do so and declaring it is for medical purposes. Thailand legalised medicinal cannabis in 2018.

Authorities aim to head off an explosion in recreational use by limiting the strength of the cannabis products that are legal. Products that contain more than 0.2 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical that makes people high, are still illegal.

Shoppers queued up at outlets selling cannabis-infused drinks, sweets and other items on Thursday as advocates of the plant welcomed the reform in a country with a reputation for strict anti-drug laws.

Rittipomng celebrates after becoming the first person to legally buy cannabis at the Highland Cafe in Bangkok [Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo]

Among those at the front of the queue at one Bangkok shop was Rittipong, 24, who waited overnight to buy his first-ever legal cannabis.

“I took a bus here after I got off work,” Rittipong told Reuters news agency.

“We’re now able to find it easily, we don’t have to worry about the source, but I have no idea about the quality,” he said, referring to the strength of the products on offer.


Chokwan Kitty Chopaka, who owns a store selling cannabis sweets, told Reuters: “After COVID, the economy going down the drain, we really do need this,”

A man looks at a dried cannabis flower for sale at the Highlands café in Bangkok [Manan Vatsyayana/AFP]So far, only Uruguay and Canada have legalised recreational cannabis nationally.

Thailand’s tropical climate is ideal for growing cannabis, and the government wants to make a splash in the market for medical cannabis. It is projected to boost everything from national income to small farmers’ livelihoods.

“We should know how to use cannabis,” Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the country’s biggest cannabis supporter, said recently. “If we have the right awareness, cannabis is like gold, something valuable, and should be promoted.”

But, he added, “We will have additional Ministry of Health Notifications, by the Department of Health. If it causes nuisances, we can use that law [to stop people from smoking].”

He said the government prefers to “build an awareness” rather than patrolling to check on people and using the law to punish them.

Some immediate beneficiaries of the change are people who have been locked up for breaking the old law.

“From our perspective, a major positive outcome of the legal changes is that at least 4,000 people imprisoned for offences relating to cannabis will be released,” Gloria Lai, Asia regional director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, told The Associated Press in an email interview.

“People facing cannabis-related charges will see them dropped, and money and cannabis seized from people charged with cannabis-related offences will be returned to their owners.”




Cannabis growers have to register on a government app called PlookGanja (Grow Ganja).

Nearly 100,000 people have signed up to the app, said health ministry official Paisan Dankhum.

Suphamet Hetrakul, co-founder of Teera Group, which grows cannabis for medical use, told Reuters he was concerned about quality control among the many new cultivators.

“It will be hard to control the level of THC and other contaminants in their products and that could be dangerous for consumers,” Suphamet said.

The health ministry said it has approved 1,181 products, including cosmetics and food, containing cannabis extracts and it expects the industry to earn as much as 15 billion baht ($435.16m) by 2026.

Despite possible economic growth, there are concerns over the equitable distribution of benefits after the reform.

One fear is that giant corporations could be unfairly served by the proposed – and complicated – licensing process and expensive fees for commercial use, which would handicap small producers.

“We have seen what happened with the alcohol business in Thailand. Only large-scale producers are allowed to monopolise the market,” AP quoted Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a lawmaker from the opposition Move Forward party, as saying.

“We are worried a similar thing will happen to the cannabis industry if the rules are in favour of big business,”

The Thai Government Wants Everyone to Grow Cannabis… But Not to Smoke It

The Thai Government Wants Everyone to Grow Cannabis… But Not to Smoke It

“Within Thailand, there's a lot of confusion and I don't know who we can trust right now.”





At a man-made beach tucked away in a small town just outside of Bangkok, an annual cannabis festival takes place within a pocket of legal limbo, just days after the partial legalization of cannabis in Thailand.

A dank smell wafts through the air as local musicians serenade the crowd, surrounded by booths selling cannabis products. As people stream in and cops patrol the area, they seem to ignore those who are outright puffing on joints, even though blazing up in public remains technically illegal despite the country’s recently-passed cannabis laws.

“Everyone smokes in Thailand. They’re just hiding,” Wathinee Belllomo, a festival goer, told VICE World News on Saturday. Like many others who gathered at the beach in Nakhon Chai Si district to celebrate the legalization milestone, Wathinee isn’t sure what the future holds for cannabis users in the country.

“The rules in Thailand, they change all the time,” she said.

Growing Cannabis Is Officially Legal in Thailand


Thailand has attracted global attention over the past 18 months for passing Asia’s most progressive weed laws, culminating on Thursday with the removal of all parts of the cannabis plant from the country’s narcotics list. Weed enthusiasts rejoiced at the milestone, and businesses immediately began cashing in on the opportunity, with shops selling cannabis buds and novel cannabis-based products.

But the reality on the ground is far less clear, confusing even, for cannabis users. While the government hands out a million free cannabis plants and people are free to grow unlimited amounts at home and purchase cannabis buds from stores, smoking a joint in public could land an offender with a public nuisance charge. Meanwhile, the sale of cannabis products with more than 0.2% THC (its main psychoactive compound) remains prohibited.

This is all part of a delicate balancing act, in which the military-aligned conservative government peddles the medical and economic benefits of cannabis—aiming to grow an industry potentially worth $661 million by 2024 to aid Thailand’s economy—all while discouraging the growth of a liberal culture around recreational cannabis use.

“We rushed into something without thinking,” said Sarana Sommano, an agricultural studies professor at Chiang Mai University who has researched cannabis cultivation in Thailand.

“Within Thailand, there's a lot of confusion and I don't know who we can trust right now.”

While festival goers partied away at a beach near Bangkok over the weekend, a more sober affair showing the other side of cannabis in Thailand was taking place about 300 kilometers away.

A government expo was held in the northeastern province of Buriram with the goal of educating the public on cannabis cultivation and its uses. Exhibitors displayed various cannabis products, ranging from standard CBD oils to the more adventurous cannabis-infused kimchi and ice cream, while the local government handed out 1,000 free cannabis seedlings.

 



VISITORS TO THE BURIRAM EXPO LINE UP TO COLLECT THEIR FREE CANNABIS SEEDLINGS. PHOTO: BOONYANIN PAKVISAL

In attendance at the Buriram expo was Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party (BP), which has been spearheading the legalization of cannabis as a member of Prayut Chan-o-cha’s military-aligned coalition government. He announced to the crowd that over 2.3 million people have already registered to grow cannabis on the government’s Plook Ganja app, with over 350,000 of these applications already approved.

The location of the expo was no accident—Buriram, a traditionally agricultural province and one of BP’s strongest voter bases, is now positioning itself to become a major player in the country’s burgeoning cannabis industry. It now finds itself in the thick of a green rush, as cannabis is being marketed to residents as a medical panacea and a golden economic opportunity to revitalize the province’s economy.
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Newin Chidchob, a revered ex-governor and the de facto leader of the BP, is at the heart of the province’s cannabis boom. Nan, his daughter, is helping to figure out how local farmers can grow cannabis commercially. Showing VICE World News around her cannabis farm, she said that her team of growers have experimented with different strains since 2019, when Thailand legalized medical cannabis. She hopes to find the best fit for the local climate, so that local farmers don’t have to go through the trial-and-error process themselves.



NAN CHIDCHOB AT HER CANNABIS FARM IN BURIRAM. PHOTO: BOONYANIN PAKVISAL

Cannabis is not a completely foreign crop to Buriram residents. The plant wasn’t criminalized until 1979 and is also traditionally incorporated into local cuisine as a flavoring ingredient.

“The local wisdom here that they have with growing in the backyard is still very much there,” said Nan, adding that some of the growers on her team were drafted from the previously underground cultivation scene.

But while there’s a local buzz in Buriram—with Public Health Minister Anutin saying last week that he’s confident that Thailand’s cannabis industry will “easily exceed $2 billion”—the laws surrounding cannabis use remain plagued with gaps.

With the government taking a conservative stance on recreational use, authorities have repeatedly emphasized that cannabis should only be used for medical and economic purposes, and cannabis products with a THC level above 0.2% remain outlawed. The result is a confusing and seemingly contradictory approach, in which people are allowed to grow tons of the plants at home, but lighting up a single spliff in the same house remains legally ambiguous.


“I think it's a big step towards unlocking recreational use here in Thailand… [The government] can't deny the fact that if you allow personal use, people are going to use it recreationally.”

The government is in the process of clarifying this ambiguity, as lawmakers passed the first reading of a draft bill just a day before June 9, legalization day. The bill, which is still being deliberated, seeks to clarify some of the ambiguity surrounding recreational cannabis consumption and sale. There remains no timeline on its passage, however.

“There are gaps that still need to be improved,” said agricultural researcher Sarana. “I don't think that’s going to happen immediately unless [the government is] trying to think about what's going to benefit the nation, not what's going to be beneficial to themselves.”


But while the focus is currently on medicinal use, Nan thinks that recreational cannabis use is on the horizon—“it just takes time for it to get to that point.”

“I think it's a big step towards unlocking recreational use here in Thailand,” she said. “[The government] can't deny the fact that if you allow personal use, people are going to use it recreationally.”

With the help of local cannabis-themed businesses springing up around the green rush, Thai society seems to already be warming up to that fact. In Instagrammable weed shops around Bangkok, cannabis buds—which could yield 15 to 25 percent THC if processed—are already legally sold on shelves since the plant was decriminalized.

Medical Marijuana Is Legal in Thailand, but People Are Sticking With the Black Market


WholeWeed House, a cannabis cafe located in downtown Bangkok, has been cautiously following the shifting regulations while exploring the new business frontier.

Boasting an Instagrammable cafe aesthetic, save for subtle weed references, the shop only sells CBD-infused food and beverages, along with their own brand of cannabis tea—all totally legal.

They understand that there’s still a level of uncertainty surrounding what’s legal and what’s not among Thai consumers. And until things become clearer surrounding cannabis in Thailand, their goal is to put their customers' minds at ease.

“We're very transparent with our customers, like where we got the cannabis from and why we choose to use this type from our supplier,” said owner Pongspat Sukhumalchandr. “We don't want anyone to come here and feel like it's illegal. We don't want people to feel shady.”

Thailand’s half-baked cannabis rule change makes drug legal for children

Thailand’s half-baked cannabis rule change makes drug legal for children
Country rushes to tighten laws that it recently relaxed as they inadvertently allowed young people to buy marijuana. 

“We legalised cannabis for medical use and for health,” he said. “Usage beyond this are inappropriate... and we need laws to control it.”
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Mr Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party campaigned on marijuana legalisation ahead of the 2019 election and is a main partner in the ruling coalition.

According to a recent BBC report, Thailand hoped that decriminalisation will benefit from the emerging Asian market of cannabis-based medical treatment and therapies.

It is also hoped that the relaxation of the laws may help to reduce overcrowding in the country’s prisons.




Thailand has hastily tightened its drug laws after a move to decriminalise cannabis caused a spike in its usage – and inadvertently made it legal for children to buy the drug.

Soon after the country became the first in Asia to legalise the growing and consumption of cannabisin food and drink on June 9, businesses began openly selling marijuana, with strains called “Amnesia” and “Night Nurse” on offer from a truck in Bangkok.

Restaurants were allowed to sell cannabis-infused dishes in restaurants, and some Thailanders took to social media to show off the cannabis cakes they had baked.

The rapid rise in cannabis sales sparked concern from Wantanee Wattana, a Bangkok city official. She said that at least one person had died and several were hospitalised last week after consuming or smoking marijuana.

A draft cannabis bill is making its way through the country’s parliament, but it could be months away from becoming law.

Promoters at the Thailand 420: Legalaew! festival in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok, sell rolling papers to revellers CREDIT: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

“There are no control measures other than word of mouth,” lamented Mana Nimitmongkol, the head of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, in an online post earlier this week.
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This week, Thailand’s government has been issuing piecemeal rules to try to bring some order to cannabis use.

On Friday, new regulations came into effect forbidding all public smoking of cannabis, as well as the sale of marijuana to people under the age of 20, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. The rules were published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette.

Several other rules included banning the drug from schools, a requirement for retailers to provide clear information on cannabis usage in food and drinks, and the application of a health law that defined marijuana smoke as a public nuisance punishable by jail time and a fine.

Critics said that the government rushed to remove criminal penalties on marijuana before passing a law to ensure that the substance is regulated.

Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand’s health minister and a leading advocate for cannabis legalisation, defended the government’s approach.

“We legalised cannabis for medical use and for health,” he said. “Usage beyond this are inappropriate... and we need laws to control it.”
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Mr Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party campaigned on marijuana legalisation ahead of the 2019 election and is a main partner in the ruling coalition.

According to a recent BBC report, Thailand hoped that decriminalisation will benefit from the emerging Asian market of cannabis-based medical treatment and therapies.

It is also hoped that the relaxation of the laws may help to reduce overcrowding in the country’s prisons.