Thailand looks set to crack down on legal pot market with ban on 'recreational' use

drug-fueled violence

Weed? It's hard to think of a drug less conducive to violence. Meanwhile, alcohol and meth (yaba) are widespread in Thailand and are certainly problems.

With a move toward decriminalization worldwide, much faster in some places than others, I didn't expect anyone to recriminalize it. I must say I am surprised.

Many Western tourists are on weed trips.

Thanks for the photos, JT. Just looking at them makes me want to chill with a big ol' box of munchies.

Many Western tourists are on weed trips.

You wouldn't believe how many Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Russians go down to buy.

But I do.

Thai cannabis crowd needs to up their Thai Govt. kickbacks or what some might refer to as lobbying, and this will be fixed quicker than you can light a joint!

Too much money being made, insane for Thai Govt. to destroy their Asian "pot" monopoly cash cow?!

Watch they mushrooming economy rot in the sun now.

It would seem very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle.

There were pot shops everywhere when I went last.

I spent a couple of weeks there over the new year.

Weed has always been freely available in Thailand, the new regs just made it harder for cops to shake you down. The week leading up to payday always made them a bit more eager to extract a few easy baht from tourists.

In Thailand, every cop is a profit centre.

Violence is tied to weed only when it is illegal. End-users aren't violent due to cannabis use. Suppliers, perhaps from formerly illegal gangs, are violent. Their corner distribution workers don't have jobs anymore.

If a govt wants fewer recreational users, raise taxes on it.

By making it for medical use, all that happens is doctors and "pharmacies" become middle-men adding 20-100% to the cost. Wealthy people will find a "doctor" to write a prescription for "anxiety" or pre-glocoma treatments. People who would rather avoid a hang-over, but have a little relaxation are being penalized.

The Cabinet is expected to consider a law that would ban recreational cannabis use while allowing medical as soon as Tuesday. If approved, it would go to parliament, where support for more restrictions is widespread.

Let's see if crimes will go down as a result then.

Tourism probably will be if it's true that:

Legal cannabis has fueled Thailand's tourism