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Thailand decriminalised weed and allowed its people to grow as many cannabis plants as they want in their own homes since June 9, 2022, and peddlers of the substance are seizing the opportunity to exist in a legally grey area and retail marijuana openly.
Reuters reported on June 14 that a green pop-up truck opened in the backpacker haven Khaosan Road, and demand for weed has been very healthy.
Staff were seen weighing and packaging buds and crushed leaves in public with sales made to locals and foreigners.
There was a healthy crowd of buyers.
Foreigners interviewed by Reuters were heard rejoicing.
The substance was selling at 700 baht (S$27) per gram for buds, according to Reuters.
Staff claimed the drug can affect users in different ways, such as helping them sleep better or easing anxiety.
1 dead from overdosing on cannabis
On the same day as the Reuters report, Bangkok Post reported that four men were admitted to hospitals in Bangkok for treatment after cannabis overdose.
One of them later died of heart failure.
The death came five days after the decriminalisation of cannabis.
Why cannabis existing in legally grey area?
Thailand became the first Asian country to legalise the growing of marijuana and its consumption in food and drinks in early June 2022, by de-listing it as a narcotic.
Even though cannabis is a newly decriminalised substance, officially, the plant grown in homes must be of medical grade and used for medical purposes only.
This means it must not have THC (the psychoactive compound that gets people "high") content above the legal maximum.
Moreover, smoking pot in public can violate health laws.
However, the Thai parliament is still debating a draft cannabis regulation bill.
The government has said it hopes the move will help the agriculture and medical research sectors of the economy.
But marijuana use in Thailand has a long history.
Even though medicinal marijuana was legalised in 2018, the Southeast Asian country has traditionally used cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue.
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