Thailand’s new prime minister has indicated the government will more strictly regulate cannabis sales, and the country’s dispensaries are concerned about the future. — DW picWednesday, 04 Oct 2023 9:05 AM MYT
Cannabis for medical use has been legal in Thailand since 2018, which was the first country in South-east Asia to do so. May’s customers include both local Thais and foreigners visiting Thailand. She told DW that running the store has been life-changing. Many new cannabis stores have popped up in open space renovated buildings, with clean-counter tops, bright lights, and higher prices. From the outside, many of these shops look more like medical centres.
However, any restrictions in the industry will impact Thai livelihoods, according to Kitty Chopaka, a cannabis activist and owner of cannabis store Chopaka in Bangkok. “I think my concern is around the degree to which the government will be open and honest about what it plans to do around cannabis and not ending up with only a few elite, or large, powerful corporations able to profit from it,” she said.However, Carl Linn the co-founder of Cannabox Thailand, a cannabis delivery service, believes recreational use is here to stay.