Many countries around the world enforce laws to a much more extreme extent than you might expect and attempting to navigate the 'dos and don'ts' as you traverse the globe is not always an easy process.

What might result on a slap on the wrist or a verbal dressing down in one place might see you fined or in jail elsewhere, so taking the time to learn about the various laws of the land is always a good idea. Last issue we focused on some of the strictest drug laws around the world but now it seems that even the toughest of stances are beginning to evolve.

Historically, Thailand has made a name for itself by having laws that prohibit things which might seem outlandish to outsiders. From not leaving the house without underwear to driving while shirtless, it's easy to imagine someone getting caught out and punished simply for not understanding the societal expectations and it is widely reported that law enforcement in Thailand take their jobs very seriously and are not known for their pity or sympathy when it comes to lawbreakers. Recently, the Thai government have even had to justify some of their laws to international bodies including a particular law which can see people locked up for speaking negatively about the monarchy or making rude gestures towards anything linked to the Thai royal family. When it comes to drugs, however, Thailand has always been among the toughest of nations in terms of their treatment of users, producers and traffickers.

For as long as I can remember, it seems like horror stories of ill treatment of those connected to the illegal trade in narcotics often came back to experiences in Thailand. Police raids have been seen as commonplace with the authorities showing no leniency towards anyone who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Police would often request that everyone in the vicinity or area of focus must produce some form of ID and also provide a urine sample which can later be tested for drugs. In some cases this has lead to people being arrested and processed as criminals even though they may have consumed something legally in a different country before travelling to Thailand. In 2002, there were a number of changes to the law which saw the number of convictions skyrocket as the government attempted to tackle a huge rise in the use of methamphetamines. As a result of this, the Thai prison population exploded in numbers with more than 80% of prisoners serving time for drugs or drug-related offences.

Amazingly, Thailand's government considered this huge rise in convictions to actually be a detrimental consequence of their law changes. In response to rising prison populations, the country's policies for drug control underwent a huge review at the end of last year which saw them draw up a new 'Narcotics Code' which focused on alternatives to prison sentences. In many ways this is because the previous laws were seen to be adversely effecting the poorest in society, with many people finding themselves facing long sentences for minor possession. To make matters worse, Thailand had seen a shocking level of executions after they first declared the new war on drugs back in 2003 and the government found themselves being increasingly scrutinized by the rest of the world when it came to their poor record on human rights issues.

Following on from this move to readjust the country's perspective on drugs, many people were shocked and stunned when the government went one step further and effectively decriminalized the consumption of cannabis. In June 2022, Thailand made the cultivation and consumption of cannabis legal in a landmark change to the law. There had already been some tentative steps towards this back in 2018, as they had legalized medically prescribed cannabis, but advocates for cannabis were overjoyed at this continued move towards more leniency.

It is worth noting that there are still some restrictions in place (including a limit on THC levels to 0.2%) but many people are happy that they can actually move away from living in constant fear of dire consequences. Officially, the government explained that it doesn't want to encourage personal use and this means that it is unlikely that the THC limit will be lifted anytime soon, however there are many who believe this will be increasingly difficult to police as time moves on. It is also reported that almost 4,000 prisoners who had previously been incarcerated due to cannabis-related offences were released in the wake of this change, much to the delight of those who have been campaigning for justice for so long.

In order to show their dedication to the cause of cannabis the government has been encouraging people to take up cultivation. There is a firm belief that cannabis could be of huge benefit to the country's economy (especially in the wake of Covid-19 which ravaged the tourist industry and continues to have a massive impact on the nation's wealth) and official bodies are even giving out free seeds as an incentive to get people growing. All households will be able to grow up to six plants at any one time, as long as they register with the relevant authorities, and larger scale grows are also allowed if people gain a permit.

While this is all incredibly positive, it is worth noting that there are still some grey areas for people to remain aware of. Recreational use is still effectively illegal but it is unlikely that this will be enforced for the most part. A key point in relation to this matter is that you can't consume cannabis in public as smoking is seen as a public nuisance and is likely to see you fined or possibly facing a short stint inside. In the weeks that followed the announcement of law changes there was some backlash which caused the government to clarify that only adults are legally entitled to obtain or cultivate cannabis for their own consumption.

If you're planning a trip to Thailand to take advantage of this change in the law then you might want to hold off for a while until you are completely aware of what's allowed and what's not. The hope from the government of Thailand is that they are essentially 'ahead of the game' when it comes to the other countries in the South-East of the globe and that the likelihood of a 'green rush' could see huge potential for cannabis and its associated by-products to bring an entirely new revenue stream which may prove incredibly lucrative.

Written and Published by Psy-23 in Weed World Magazine Issue 159

Image: Pexels