Thailand’s new government is moving ahead to pass new legisalation banning cannabis for recreational use in a major reversal 18 months after the country became the first in Asia to decriminalize the plant.

The relaxed laws saw a lucrative cannabis industry catering to locals and foreigners alike boom across the Southeast Asian nation, but a new conservative coalition government came to power late last year vowing to tighten the rules and only allow medical use.

A draft bill was released on Tuesday by Thailand’s health ministry outlining hefty fines or prison sentences of up to one year for offenders – or both.

  • _number8_@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    136
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    11 months ago

    why are people still so backwards about this? what’s the point? everyone uses caffeine and/or alcohol and that’s fine but weed is horrible and bad? just blatantly denying reality

    • ono@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      44
      ·
      11 months ago

      In most places, there’s money in enforcement, and power in disenfranchisement.

      I don’t know what Thailand-specific motives might be in play here, if any.

    • otp@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      ·
      11 months ago

      And tobacco.

      I think the idea is that they can’t fight a war on those drugs since they’re already there, but they can still win against the others by keeping them out.

      It helps when you have relatively tight borders and your neighbours agree.

      • Rediphile@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        I smoked weed in Thailand as a 15 year old in like 2006 lol. It’s always been there and always will be.

        I’ve also smoked hash in Saudi Arabia. I have yet to find a single country in which I could not find cannabis in if around for more than a week or two. Literally no one has ever won the war on drugs or even come close.

        • otp@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, but it’s not as easy to find as it is in Canada, for instance…I’d imagine, lol

          And weed is one thing, but it might be harder to find other drugs. Thailand might be different, but I’m thinking of places like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc…not non-existent, but harder to find than in some other places.

    • chitak166@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      10 months ago

      People are okay with drug use as long as it’s drugs they use.

      You even see it among pot smokers towards nicotine and alcohol.

        • Woht24@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          10 months ago

          His whole statement is correct, I’ve seen it time and time again.

          Your comment didn’t even elaborate which part you were disagreeing with?

          • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            10 months ago

            I’m not either of those guys, but in my experience it has nothing to do with their drug of choice and more to do with the social tolerances of the overall group. Outside the good bars in my town all three types associate freely.

            The notion that pot smokers all look down on users of other drugs is ridiculous.

            • Woht24@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              10 months ago

              Not all, but definitely a common theme. Heavy drinkers judge smokers. Cigarette smokers judge weed smokers and vice versa.

              There’s also a lot of people who do all and have no problem, absolutely. But I’ve seen angst against other drug users in groups of drug users completely straight faced, unaware of the irony, plenty of times.

          • gens@programming.dev
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            If I assume you are asking, instead of making a statement. Then i am not able to answer since i seem to be unable to see any comments on this post.

            Maybe some moderator had a bad day, as only this world news is like that while the whole rest of lemmy.world works fine. Would be nice if i got any… anything about it. Seems harsh.

      • Rediphile@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        18
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        And I’d be fine with the neighbors cooking up a smelly fish meal if they could just make that food odorless.

        But obviously they can’t and that makes no sense, so instead I am a normal human being and just deal with a smell that is not to my preference since it’s completely subjective and can’t hurt me.

          • pacific@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            13
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            But you don’t NEED to eat fish/seafood, which I find repulsive, and in my world that’s all that matters. Also, I hope you dont use the perfume, cologne, or deodorant I don’t like, because that should also be illegal… because I don’t like it. I also don’t like cigarettes or sage, so if you use that, straight to jail.

          • Rediphile@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            3
            ·
            10 months ago

            But why can’t they make something that smells delicious though like an Indian curry or fried Swiss cheese and eat that instead of nasty-ass fish?

            • Boiglenoight@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              10 months ago

              God I would love it if pot smelled like the McDonalds quarter pounder with cheese. Maybe AI can figure it out.

      • Lemminary@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        10 months ago

        I don’t understand how people hate it. Weed is better-smelling than tobacco by a mile and then some. Tobacco smoke irritates your lungs when you smell it, something that doesn’t happen with weed unless you have some medical condition.

        • Boiglenoight@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          I can stand smoke. It’s annoying, but it’s fine. Pot is smells like a No. 2 pencil eraser factory on fire. It’s nowhere close to the same.

          • Lemminary@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            10 months ago

            like a No. 2 pencil eraser factory on fire

            Lol! Fair enough. I think it smells a bit like skunk spray, but I didn’t mind the skunk smell from the few times that I smelled it from afar.

            • Boiglenoight@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              10 months ago

              I can take social situations in private places like someone’s home, or even public places like parks. I expect people to enjoy themselves.

              Me and a couple friends went to Texas Roadhouse and were seated in a section that had a ~1 foot partition between booths. A little later a couple of guys were seated opposite of the partition, in a booth running parallel to ours. We were nauseated by the smell and asked to be reseated. They ironically sat us in a corner booth decorated with Willie Nelson pictures on the walls and table, with a neon sign that read Willie’s Corner. We felt bad for the couple that were shortly seated in that same booth. We had a really good meal.

              I fully support someone’s freedom to do what they want as long as they’re not bothering others. Reeking of weed while we spend upwards to 50 bucks for a meal (prices are nuts now) is unacceptable.

              • Lemminary@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                10 months ago

                That’s fair. Although, tbh with you, I would’ve liked to be sitting right next to them. 😂

    • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      47
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      Honestly, it’s a nuisance for many.

      I wouldn’t want to live close to a dispensary, there’s almost always a “stench”. Don’t get me wrong I like to partake, but I definitely understand why it’s stigmatized. It fricken stinks and the stereotype of high kids doing dumb shit is real as well. I think they just need better control

      Edit: damn guys I like weed and Thailand was on my list of countries to visit because they legalized. I’m just not surprised… They’re the only country in APAC to have legalized and there are countries around then giving out death penalties.

      • Aylex@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        48
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        11 months ago

        High kids’ dumb shit will always pale in comparison to drunk kids’ dumb shit and it’s not even close.

        • ynthrepic@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          10 months ago

          Absolutely, unless they’re also drinking - but then weed may also be mitigating some of alcohol’s worst effects. Alcohol reduces inhibition, while weed often causes anxiety. Alcohol increases propensity for violent behavior, while weed usually calms you down.

          It’s also important to point out, it’s still illegal for kids to be doing either if the things in the first place.

          • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            It definitely is still illegal, so I think they just need some better controls. I think good for any new legal substance, it takes a bit for things to be put in place

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          14
          ·
          edit-2
          10 months ago

          It’s still dumb shit

          Edit: agreed drunk kids do way worse stuff, but I’ve done some seriously stupid shit while high, just drawing from personal experience

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          9
          ·
          11 months ago

          Definitely true, but even in the US the more conservative population and older population are pretty against the substance. I’d say they’re coming around to it in the long legal states, but it’s still a drug that you smoke. It’s not unlike cigarettes, but cigarettes don’t get compared to the smell of skunk

          • ji17br@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            11 months ago

            Everyone I know that isn’t a cigarette or weed smoker agrees that cigarettes smell much worse. It also lingers longer.

            • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              11 months ago

              Really? I mean I agree, but I definitely think people are used to cigarette smoke. But weed leaves that dank skunk smell behind. I’m surprised everyone you know prefers the weed smell

              • ji17br@lemmy.ml
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                4
                ·
                11 months ago

                I didn’t say everyone I know. I said everyone I know that doesn’t smoke. Obviously the weed smokers think weed smells better and the cig smokers think that cigs smell better.

                Smoke weed in a room with the window open there will be no smell the next day. Not the same for cigarettes.

                • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  10 months ago

                  Definitely agree that cigarette smell lingers and weed smell dissapates, but I also believe weed smell, in the short term covers a larger area and smells worse. Maybe I’m bias since I like the smell of cigarettes (but I also like the smell of weed).

                  • ji17br@lemmy.ml
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    2
                    ·
                    10 months ago

                    Totally fair haha I’m definitely biased towards the weed smell.

      • oatscoop@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        21
        ·
        11 months ago

        I wouldn’t want to live close to a dispensary, there’s almost always a “stench”.

        I pass by dispensarys all the time and never notice a smell. The only places that smell are those that allow smoking on premise – which with our state’s indoor smoking laws are very rare.

        It’s no different than tobacco, really.

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          10 months ago

          Agreed, the nice locations do really well. But, I’m not sure if it’s just people smoking nearby or what, but there’s 2 dispensaries in Seattle that always stink. One I commute past in my car, and I can smell it from inside my vehicle from a few hundred feet away no matter what direction I’m coming from.

          I personally think weed, in the short term has a stronger and further reaching smell. But that’s my own opinion. I’m sad Thailand is reversing, I wanted to visit and eat street food in Bangkok while high

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          10 months ago

          Hmmm I kind of found that good quality was stickier and smellier. I’m kind of numb to the smell though, since I smoke. I’ll get some nicer stuff and see what my roommate thinks

          • KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            Could just be the kind of stuff I usually smoke. Its the kind of stuff where a single smallish bud would last a normal person more than a month, and I go through it in less than a week. Well I used to anyway, before moving to boringville

      • ynthrepic@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        10 months ago

        Make smoking around others outside or in public without other’s consent illegal (i.e. you can complain to police if you don’t like the smell), and introduce a rule you can only smoke on licensed premises (with smoking rooms) or at home.

        That’s what some places have done with tobacco smoking. It is basically harassment or assault in my view to have people consume your second hand smoke and smells.

        Edibles on the outer hand, or if you create flavored vapes that don’t smell much or travel far in the air, all good.

        Lack of creativity among conservatives is never surprising.

        Also it’s already illegal for kids to do weed, smoke or drink.

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          I agree with you. Problem for Thailand is(last I checked) they’re the only country in APAC that legalized fully. I think it’s stigmatized since all those countries are so strict. Last I remember Indonesia had a potential death penalty for having 1kg of weed.