Thailand’s new government is moving ahead to pass new legisalation banning cannabis for recreational use in a major reversal 18 months after the country became the first in Asia to decriminalize the plant.

The relaxed laws saw a lucrative cannabis industry catering to locals and foreigners alike boom across the Southeast Asian nation, but a new conservative coalition government came to power late last year vowing to tighten the rules and only allow medical use.

A draft bill was released on Tuesday by Thailand’s health ministry outlining hefty fines or prison sentences of up to one year for offenders – or both.

  • mibo80@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    Banning something enjoyable that harms no one and has nil impact on society - just conservative things.

      • vividspecter@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        They cause an incredible amount of e-waste and are frequently targeted at children.

        • Psychodelic@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Won’t someone please think of the children!!!

          Seriously though, why not just support regulating them and allowing only reusable vapes instead of supporting a ban which only results in a black market?

        • Wrench@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          How is it much different than disposable batteries?

          Not saying there aren’t better options. But seems like it’s a weird hill to die on

          • vividspecter@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            Lithium (and other materials that go into common rechargable batteries in vapes) are rare earth minerals that could be used for other much more important uses whereas the materials in non-rechargable batteries are less useful or rare. Not all vapes use lithium but it’s common, and using it just once is a particularly wasteful use of a valuable resource, along with other hazards that come from dumping it in landfill.

            Making a vape with a (user) rechargable battery that has a decent amount of re-uses isn’t that hard, so these single-use vapes really are just pointless.

            But yeah, disposable batteries in general aren’t great either, and I avoid them as much as possible my self.

  • _number8_@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    why are people still so backwards about this? what’s the point? everyone uses caffeine and/or alcohol and that’s fine but weed is horrible and bad? just blatantly denying reality

    • otp@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      And tobacco.

      I think the idea is that they can’t fight a war on those drugs since they’re already there, but they can still win against the others by keeping them out.

      It helps when you have relatively tight borders and your neighbours agree.

    • chitak166@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      People are okay with drug use as long as it’s drugs they use.

      You even see it among pot smokers towards nicotine and alcohol.

      • Lemminary@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I don’t understand how people hate it. Weed is better-smelling than tobacco by a mile and then some. Tobacco smoke irritates your lungs when you smell it, something that doesn’t happen with weed unless you have some medical condition.

        • Boiglenoight@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          I can stand smoke. It’s annoying, but it’s fine. Pot is smells like a No. 2 pencil eraser factory on fire. It’s nowhere close to the same.

          • Lemminary@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            like a No. 2 pencil eraser factory on fire

            Lol! Fair enough. I think it smells a bit like skunk spray, but I didn’t mind the skunk smell from the few times that I smelled it from afar.

            • Boiglenoight@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              I can take social situations in private places like someone’s home, or even public places like parks. I expect people to enjoy themselves.

              Me and a couple friends went to Texas Roadhouse and were seated in a section that had a ~1 foot partition between booths. A little later a couple of guys were seated opposite of the partition, in a booth running parallel to ours. We were nauseated by the smell and asked to be reseated. They ironically sat us in a corner booth decorated with Willie Nelson pictures on the walls and table, with a neon sign that read Willie’s Corner. We felt bad for the couple that were shortly seated in that same booth. We had a really good meal.

              I fully support someone’s freedom to do what they want as long as they’re not bothering others. Reeking of weed while we spend upwards to 50 bucks for a meal (prices are nuts now) is unacceptable.

              • Lemminary@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                That’s fair. Although, tbh with you, I would’ve liked to be sitting right next to them. 😂

    • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Honestly, it’s a nuisance for many.

      I wouldn’t want to live close to a dispensary, there’s almost always a “stench”. Don’t get me wrong I like to partake, but I definitely understand why it’s stigmatized. It fricken stinks and the stereotype of high kids doing dumb shit is real as well. I think they just need better control

      Edit: damn guys I like weed and Thailand was on my list of countries to visit because they legalized. I’m just not surprised… They’re the only country in APAC to have legalized and there are countries around then giving out death penalties.

      • Aylex@lemmy.ml
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        11 months ago

        High kids’ dumb shit will always pale in comparison to drunk kids’ dumb shit and it’s not even close.

        • ynthrepic@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Absolutely, unless they’re also drinking - but then weed may also be mitigating some of alcohol’s worst effects. Alcohol reduces inhibition, while weed often causes anxiety. Alcohol increases propensity for violent behavior, while weed usually calms you down.

          It’s also important to point out, it’s still illegal for kids to be doing either if the things in the first place.

          • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            It definitely is still illegal, so I think they just need some better controls. I think good for any new legal substance, it takes a bit for things to be put in place

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          It’s still dumb shit

          Edit: agreed drunk kids do way worse stuff, but I’ve done some seriously stupid shit while high, just drawing from personal experience

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Definitely true, but even in the US the more conservative population and older population are pretty against the substance. I’d say they’re coming around to it in the long legal states, but it’s still a drug that you smoke. It’s not unlike cigarettes, but cigarettes don’t get compared to the smell of skunk

          • ji17br@lemmy.ml
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            11 months ago

            Everyone I know that isn’t a cigarette or weed smoker agrees that cigarettes smell much worse. It also lingers longer.

            • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              Really? I mean I agree, but I definitely think people are used to cigarette smoke. But weed leaves that dank skunk smell behind. I’m surprised everyone you know prefers the weed smell

              • ji17br@lemmy.ml
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                11 months ago

                I didn’t say everyone I know. I said everyone I know that doesn’t smoke. Obviously the weed smokers think weed smells better and the cig smokers think that cigs smell better.

                Smoke weed in a room with the window open there will be no smell the next day. Not the same for cigarettes.

                • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
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                  11 months ago

                  Definitely agree that cigarette smell lingers and weed smell dissapates, but I also believe weed smell, in the short term covers a larger area and smells worse. Maybe I’m bias since I like the smell of cigarettes (but I also like the smell of weed).

      • ynthrepic@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Make smoking around others outside or in public without other’s consent illegal (i.e. you can complain to police if you don’t like the smell), and introduce a rule you can only smoke on licensed premises (with smoking rooms) or at home.

        That’s what some places have done with tobacco smoking. It is basically harassment or assault in my view to have people consume your second hand smoke and smells.

        Edibles on the outer hand, or if you create flavored vapes that don’t smell much or travel far in the air, all good.

        Lack of creativity among conservatives is never surprising.

        Also it’s already illegal for kids to do weed, smoke or drink.

        • MySwellMojo@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          I agree with you. Problem for Thailand is(last I checked) they’re the only country in APAC that legalized fully. I think it’s stigmatized since all those countries are so strict. Last I remember Indonesia had a potential death penalty for having 1kg of weed.

  • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    A pity. That country is very dependent on tourism and really hasn’t recovered since the virus.

    There is something about being high as a kite in Bangkok and eating one of the best meals of your life from a stand for a 100 Bhat.

      • GluWu@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        … but why? They could be spamming something political or whatever. But no, they feel so strongly that they need to spam bot about the formatting in lemmy?