
It's possible that you've seen the news of Thailand legalising cannabis already. The decision to relax laws controlling the use of cannabis made international news, propelled by the Thai government's decision to give away 1 million cannabis plants to any Thai citizen who wanted one. However, the legislative changes are - like a lot of rules and bureaucracy here - actually fairly complicated. So, here's what you need to know...
Is Cannabis legal?
Yes and no. Cannabis is still a controlled substance in Thailand. However, it is now legal to possess and use cannabis if you are aged 20 years or older (unless you have permission from a doctor).
However, even this is slightly more complicated than first appears. Cannabis with extracts containing no more than 0.2% by weight of THC is legal. Extracts containing over 0.2% are still illegal.
Smoking cannabis in public is also still forbidden - and punishable by a 3 month jail sentence and 25k THB fine. This is because the new policies are meant to encourage cannabis use solely for health-related reasons, not recreational purposes.
Is it really not ok to smoke it in public recreationally?
Thailand is like every other country in this regard - whatever the laws are, it's not unusual to see people breaking them. However, it's best not to take too many risks on this front. The policing of these laws is incredibly inconsistent, largely owing to the way Thailand is policed. For example, in Bangkok, policing is done by district. Some district police forces are known to enforce the law incredibly strictly, and I've known music venues to run afoul of this due to people smoking weed outside a show. Yet, elsewhere in Bangkok, other venues I know are well-known hangouts for smokers, and police are known to turn a blind eye as long as no other complaints are made (about noise, for example).
So where can I smoke?
Given the rules, the only places that it is theoretically completely safe to smoke are on private property. This would likely restrict visitors to their accommodation. However, smoking indoors is also outlawed, so it restricts you to your hotel balcony. Even then, you should check with management to ensure that it's a safe spot.
What about bringing cannabis products with me?
This is still a strict no-no! It is against the law to bring products containing cannabis, hemp extracts, and hemp derived products (as well as any parts of cannabis and/or hemp) into Thailand. There are very severe punishments for doing so.
Comments