Thousands of cannabis stalls appeared on Bangkok’s streets and in other tourist areas soon after marijuana use became legal in Thailand, symbolizing the country’s aspirations for a boost to its economy.
Yet almost a year later, the prospect of a fresh bonanza crop appears to have vanished into thin air because no clear legal guidelines have been established, and long-promised legislation that would have regulated its usage in the nation failed to pass through parliament in February.
Cannabis grown illegally outside of Thailand has flooded Thailand, pushing down wholesale prices and harming cultivators like Chalakorn Choomwan. “Time is the most crucial component of an investment. The most valuable resource is time.
According to the operating director of Amber Farm, which cultivates cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes, “if anything is delayed, it will damage the entire structure (of the industry), whether it be the systems, employees, or the products.”
According to 45-year-old Natworaphakkhathorn Phongthanatthanakorn, the director of the marijuana business RG420, the Thai cannabis market was once expected to generate up to 50 billion baht ($1.4 billion) in revenue in 2023, but he now has his doubts.
He claimed that a kilogram of marijuana could be sold for between 400,000 and 500,000 baht ($11,800 to $14,800), but the price has now fallen to just 150,000 baht ($4,400).
Cannabis shops litter the street on Bangkok’s popular Khaosan Avenue, and no one seems to mind that imported cannabis is technically prohibited.
Several stores prominently display their imports, with one emphasizing “CANNABIS MADE IN USA” on a placard.
“The imported marijuana is sneaked in; there are no capital costs involved. Because they have been in the business for so long, prices for products like these coming from Europe or America are far lower than ours, he claimed.
In Thailand, marijuana has entered the political arena. The opposition has criticized the government’s pro-military alliance in the run-up to the May 14 elections for pushing through decriminalization last year to the harm of society in general and young people in particular, they claim.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the minister of health for Thailand and a main proponent of legalization, has attributed the delay in legislation to political objectives.
As Anutin told Reuters, “They (lawmakers) are purposefully preventing the passage of the cannabis law that was proposed by our Bhumjaithai Party in parliament. I believe that if we passed, we would increase our support and win more votes, therefore they utilized politics to prevent us.
Anutin’s assertion is refuted by Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, an opposition lawmaker from the liberal Move Forward Party, who also claims that his party wants to strengthen cannabis regulations to protect those who are most sensitive to its effects.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst from Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, called the situation a “legal muddle” and said that the decriminalization of marijuana was badly carried out.
“With the impending election, the next question is what will happen to the cannabis policy that it has been advocating if the Bhumjaithai Party does not get to join the next coalition administration.”
