News Forum - Smoking cannabis recreationally is still illegal, warns Department of Public Health

[Thaiger]

Cannabis smoke is a “public nuisance” and smoking it recreationally – at home or in public – is illegal, warns Thailand’s Department of Public Health. From June 9, growing cannabis plants at home will become legal, but smoking cannabis recreationally will remain a punishable offence. The only prerequisite to legally growing cannabis at home, from June 9, is downloading and registering via the Plook Ganja mobile application. All parts of cannabis and hemp plants will be delisted as a Grade 5 narcotic from June 9, but consuming or smoking high-grade tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, flowers will still be illegal, in whichever […]

The story Smoking cannabis recreationally is still illegal, warns Department of Public Health as seen on Thaiger News.

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[TheDirtyDurian]

555.. Those annoying clouds of smelly cannabis smoke. 

Can't have them now can we....

[Fanta]

But how else does someone test the THC level to make sure they are not breaking the law? Asking for a friend…  

[JohnC]

How is this actually going to work?

My Thai gf is about to grow a few plants and will apply on that app but she'll only have a few plants so not worth anything medically I would have thought. 

She says it was quite common at one time to grow cannabis plants until the military started checking the farms and either arresting people or they had to destroy the crop first if they seen them coming.  

I'm baffled because I can't see the point of growing a few plants if you're not going to smoke it?

Is it a case of we're allowing you to grow these plants and telling you that you can't smoke it but really we're just saying that to make it sound like we're being all legal and you can do what you want because nobody will check anyway?

[Fanta]

22 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm baffled because I can't see the point of growing a few plants if you're not going to smoke it?

That is a good question. How much is a grown to maturity plant worth on the legal market? Cannot recall any baht amounts being spoken about for this supposed cash crop that will earn gazillions. 

[Chatogaster]

52 minutes ago, JohnC said:

How is this actually going to work?

My Thai gf is about to grow a few plants and will apply on that app but she'll only have a few plants so not worth anything medically I would have thought. 

She says it was quite common at one time to grow cannabis plants until the military started checking the farms and either arresting people or they had to destroy the crop first if they seen them coming.  

I'm baffled because I can't see the point of growing a few plants if you're not going to smoke it?

Is it a case of we're allowing you to grow these plants and telling you that you can't smoke it but really we're just saying that to make it sound like we're being all legal and you can do what you want because nobody will check anyway?

 

The answer to "How is this going to work?" is simple: haphazardly, as usual!

The “public nuisance”-solution is a low-level patch to what is a high-level problem in the new legislation. I expect a lot of confusion and that rules will be randomly (ill-)applied to prosecute confused people, just because a neighbor has a grudge.

Instead of limiting the THC-level of the harvest (for companies and privates alike), they should have just limited the size of the harvest for privates (e.g., you're allowed to grow up to 5 plants at a time), and apply the rule regarding the THC-level for licensed companies/mass-producers.
 

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Chatogaster
minor typos

[JohnC]

10 minutes ago, Chatogaster said:

The answer to "How is this going to work?" is simple: haphazardly, as usual!

The “public nuisance”-solution is a low-level patch to what is a high-level problem in the new legislation. I expect a lot of confusion and that rules will be randomly (ill-)applied to prosecute confused people, just because a neighbor has a grudge.

Instead of limiting the THC-level of the harvest (for companies and privates alike), they should have just limited the size of the harvest for privates (e.g., you're allowed to grow up to 5 plants at a time), and apply the rule regarding the THC-level for licensed companies/mass-producers.
 

That makes complete sense to me. 

I gather that means it's not likely to happen in Thailand either. 

I can see how the law will be haphazardly applied also. 

What a mess it'll likely be and it's a shame because it has the beginnings of a good idea for me as I'd be in favour of regulating it in a similar way to the Netherlands and the US are and it'll definitely boost the economy if them countries are anything to go by

[palooka]

Means the cops catch you, they still get tea money.

[ThaiEyes]

These “reminders” everyone keeps getting are only necessary because of the government’s vagueness, indecisiveness and infighting. They’re really annoying. They should just $h!t or get off the pot.

BTW the giveaway plants are likely all male plants… no buds.

[KaptainRob]

3 minutes ago, ThaiEyes said:

BTW the giveaway plants are likely all male plants… no buds.

A nut would hardly give away any of his prized 400 rai crop.

[ThaiEyes]

1 hour ago, KaptainRob said:

A nut would hardly give away any of his prized 400 rai crop.

I was referring to the plants the government was supposedly giving away. As far as the real THC plants, yeah I wouldn’t give any away either!

[TorontoJeff]

So weed smoke is annoying but tobacco smoke isn't?

[astro]

10 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Cannabis smoke is a “public nuisance” and smoking it recreationally – at home or in public – is illegal, warns Thailand’s Department of Public Health. From June 9, growing cannabis plants at home will become legal, but smoking cannabis recreationally will remain a punishable offence

Crickey, what moronic drivel.

How is having a smoke at home a "public nuisance", and why would anyone grow the stuff if one cannot smoke it?

Perhaps the solution are happy shakes & space cakes?

[HolyCowCm]

Just let everyone put plastic molded plants in the dirt and no one is in trouble unless they burn the plastic plant. But then again nobody ever complained or went to jail from burning plastic garbage here even if it is totally toxic. Complete nonsense and a charade from these twerps saying - ooh look at us, look at how cool and open minded we are, but no no no, don’t smoke it because it is against the law. 

[TopDeadSenter]

They do this so the police can still do their shakedowns and extortion of poor smokers. I witnessed such an event the other day, some poor tourist had a joint in his pocket after leaving a reggae bar. Plainclothes cops nabbed him at his private residential property with no warrant when he arrived home, and forcibly searched him. They said he had 2 choices, pay a huge fine about 2,000 euros or they will arrest and deport him. Seeing as he had pets to take care of he had no other option but to sign some document in Thai with no translator and pay up immediately.

 Who doesn't want 2,000 euros for an hour's "work"?

 Disgusting.

 

edit to add, this whole Pluk Gan app that the public has to use to grow a plant is sketchy as hell. I am 100% sure the local cops will use this list to bust and bribe people quietly growing a plant at home. Like the above incident, no matter what the law says when you are being threatened by dirty cops with being immediately deported and blacklisted you will have to comply. 

Edited May 28, 2022 by TopDeadSenter

[Fanta]

11 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

They do this so the police can still do their shakedowns and extortion of poor smokers. I witnessed such an event the other day, some poor tourist had a joint in his pocket after leaving a reggae bar. Plainclothes cops nabbed him at his private residential property with no warrant when he arrived home, and forcibly searched him. They said he had 2 choices, pay a huge fine about 2,000 euros or they will arrest and deport him. Seeing as he had pets to take care of he had no other option but to sign some document in Thai with no translator and pay up immediately.

 Who doesn't want 2,000 euros for an hour's "work"?

 Disgusting.

edit to add, this whole Pluk Gan app that the public has to use to grow a plant is sketchy as hell. I am 100% sure the local cops will use this list to bust and bribe people quietly growing a plant at home. Like the above incident, no matter what the law says when you are being threatened by dirty cops with being immediately deported and blacklisted you will have to comply. 

Cops in Thailand do not need a warrant to enter and search premises they suspect is being used for the sale or consumption of drugs. They don’t even have to prove that their suspicion was grounded in reality in a criminal trial. It is highly unlikely he would have been deported for a joint as marijuana is a Category 5 drug and possession of a small amount is most commonly dealt with by paying a fine of 10 or 20,000baht at the cop shop or the court. Selling is a different matter. He got shafted. He should move without leaving a forwarding address because they will come back. They always come back. 

[Stevejm]

On 5/27/2022 at 6:03 PM, Fanta said:

But how else does someone test the THC level to make sure they are not breaking the law? Asking for a friend…  

They could smoke it! Or make brownies with it. If no effect test passed‍