It’s going on three years since Thailand removed the cannabis flower from its narcotics list, effectively making weed legal for sale.
Since then, the number of cannabis businesses across the country has exploded. There are currently over 10,000 cannabis dispensaries listed in Thailand, not to mention the countless unlisted or unofficial shops, farms, and cannabis growers, as well as others involved in this rapidly growing industry.
But is everything as rosy as it seems? After a change of government in 2023, the Thai authorities’ attitudes toward cannabis legalisation appear to have cooled significantly. Now, discussions about reclassifying weed as a narcotic have become increasingly commonplace.
I went to Bangkok to speak with Kitty Chopaka, a cannabis legalisation activist and owner of a weed dispensary, and Gloria Lai, the Asia regional director for the International Drug Policy Consortium, to find out more about the current situation with cannabis in Thailand.
This is the first of two episodes on the subject, so if you enjoy the podcast and want to learn more then be sure to tune in next week for the second part of my interview with Gloria and Kitty.
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