First legal weed now......

[phuketrichard]

finally waking up to the reality that what they said were "bad" drugs can be useful.

Cabinet Approves Opium and Magic Mushroom Trial for Medicine

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Cabinet has given the green light to a draft royal decree that permits the cultivation of opium and magic mushrooms for medicinal use on a trial basis. The proposal, presented by the Justice Ministry, received unanimous support from key government bodies including the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry, Interior Ministry, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council, and the Royal Thai Police.

Under the new regulation, the International Narcotics Control College, situated within Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen district, will be authorized to cultivate opium for medicinal purposes. This college, overseen by the Office of Narcotics Control Board, will facilitate the extraction of morphine by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation in their laboratories located in Bangkok and Pathum Thani.

The decree also aims to enable the growth of magic mushrooms in designated universities and educational institutions across four regions of Thailand. Institutions approved for the project will be those deemed ready to embark on experimental projects to create anti-depressants from the extracts of magic mushrooms.

Magic mushrooms contain essential compounds, psilocybin, and psilocin, which possess promising potential for developing anti-depressant drugs. Thailand has witnessed a significant rise in the number of depression diagnoses, with approximately 1.76 million cases recorded between 2015 and 2020.

Experts said the initiative is expected to pave the way for cost-effective domestic production of these crucial drugs, thereby saving the country a substantial amount of money.

https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/deta ... 0105954433

[phuketrichard]

NOT good news for the thousands of dispensaries around the country.

BUT am sure many will find a way around this by having a "dr" on duty who will write a script for 500 baht

Thailand’s new PM vows to end the ‘free use’ of cannabis

THAILAND’S new prime minister vowed to restrict the use of marijuana for medical purposes after thousands of weed shops opened across the country since the nation became the first in Asia to decriminalise cannabis a year ago.

The government will seek to “rectify” its cannabis policy and rampant sprouting of dispensaries that freely sell the drug within a six-month time frame, Srettha Thavisin said in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday in New York.

“The law will need to be rewritten,” Srettha said. “It needs to be rectified. We can have that regulated for medical use only,” he said, adding that there can’t be a middle ground for recreational use.

While Srettha said there was a broad agreement among the 11-party coalition he heads about the need to restrict cannabis use, how exactly his administration will proceed remains unclear.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/intern ... e-cannabis

[Alex]

Yeah I mean in a country where doctors routinely issue a health certificate, patient unseen, for a mere 100 baht or so, getting a prescription for cannabis shouldn't pose too much of an obstacle.

[Anchor Moy]

The problem is that the rules around the legal use of cannabis in Thailand will most likely remain "unclear" ie. at the discretion of the police.

[Doc67]

I think they had an almighty surprise with the speed and extent of the proliferation of weed and outlets. I think this spooked them and they realised this must have been going on already and they had no idea of the extent of it.

Now they are trying to geld and saddle the wild horses. There is no point in a country legalising drugs and suffering the conservative backlash unless you can show outweighing benefits like regulation, taxation and the destruction of the organised crime that hitherto ran the game.

Once you have given up on prohibition and the 'war on drugs' (thanks for that one, Nixon) you better have proper plans in place to control it. Thailand is a good example of not how to do it.

[phuketrichard]

The move to recriminalize certain aspects of marijuana, which could be considered a drug due to its high levels of hallucinogenic substances, is not an urgent matter. Health Minister Chonlanan Srikaew said the ministry will first engage in discussions with relevant agencies and groups.

However, he did not provide clarification on which specific parts of marijuana are targeted, although it is known that leaves and flowers contain high levels of THC.

[crob]

Yeah I mean in a country where doctors routinely issue a health certificate, patient unseen, for a mere 100 baht or so, getting a prescription for cannabis shouldn't pose too much of an obstacle.

remember walking down Venice beach when California only had medical weed, there were a bunch of shops with signs saying medical weed card for $40, so if they go down this route give it a few hours and Soi 11, Bangla, koh san, etc will have similar shops, 300 baht, in and out.... optics look better so it helps out the conservatives, people treating it like a proper business can still operate, it gives the coppers tea money from those who don't play games and will get rid of the over supply in weed stores

[Roryborealis]

In Khon Kaen, Korat and Chiang Mai, the proliferation of small, entrepreneurial shops and cafes on every few blocks is keeping prices relatively moderate. Wild variety in strains and quality, but hey, it's the nature of the beast. Sort of a secondary, local entrepreneurial tier after the higher priced premium tourist shops with different ownership.

Proprieters are apparently supposed to be requesting ID (from foreigners only?) at point of sale, but most do not. (I've only been asked once)

I've noticed many shops double also as something else (e.g.. skate shop, bicycle repair, etc.), which helps for business purposes but reminds me of all those donut shops in California that just happen to also sell burritos or auto repair in addition to the donuts.