Marijuana growers dazed, confused by legal smoke and mirrors
It’s been months since marijuana became legal in Thailand, or semi-legal, or not illegal, or potentially quasi-legal. On June 9, Thailand became the first country in Asia—and only the third in the world, after Canada and Uruguay—to decriminalise cannabis nationwide. Or so we thought.
Sellers, smokers, patients and tourist operators are trying to work almost completely without any legal framework. But one thing they all agree about, new laws will come, sooner or later. Until then, insecurity will continue to dominate this nascent market where no one knows what will happen next.
Local entrepreneurs with marijuana businesses want the government to restate its support for liberal cannabis and hemp laws, due to fears that the new laws could be tampered with or even withdrawn completely by the House of Representatives.
Opinion among the coalition government is far from united and there is a strong possibility of weed becoming a political football, just as considerable political upheaval has come onto the radar.
Health associations, investors, and the public have no choice but to wait. Any delays to the full enactment of the law will cause significant financial losses among investors and create a strong negative impact, both locally and internationally.
Sittichai Daengprasert, chairman of the Dietary Supplement Industry Club and Herbal Industry Club under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), underlined widespread confusion among small entrepreneurs. The biggest among these concerns is that the plant may be recategorized as an illegal drug again.
Mr Sittichai stated…
The withdrawal results in delays to a partnership between Thai cannabis companies and foreign investors, as well as the development of marijuana products and medical formulas.
Thanatcha Chalayonnavin, Director of Marketing and Public Relations of Play La Ploen Boutique Resort owns a cannabis plantation in Buriram province, said that many farmers and smallholders had started to grow weed, expecting it to become their main source of income. These farmers have had no way forward since the draft Cannabis and Hemp Act was withdrawn during its first consideration.
Mr Thanatcha added…
Many people invested all they had in marijuana, but there is now no market to support their products. When the draft law was rejected and they had to start over, it affected them all.
SOURCE TPN National
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