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submitted 5 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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.

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[-] _number8_@lemmy.world 138 points 5 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

[-] ono@lemmy.ca 48 points 5 months ago

In most places, there's money in enforcement, and power in disenfranchisement.

I don't know what Thailand-specific motives might be in play here, if any.

[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 18 points 5 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.

[-] Rediphile@lemmy.ca 13 points 5 months ago

I smoked weed in Thailand as a 15 year old in like 2006 lol. It's always been there and always will be.

I've also smoked hash in Saudi Arabia. I have yet to find a single country in which I could not find cannabis in if around for more than a week or two. Literally no one has ever won the war on drugs or even come close.

[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it's not as easy to find as it is in Canada, for instance...I'd imagine, lol

And weed is one thing, but it might be harder to find other drugs. Thailand might be different, but I'm thinking of places like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc...not non-existent, but harder to find than in some other places.

[-] chitak166@lemmy.world 1 points 5 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.

[-] gens@programming.dev 8 points 5 months ago
[-] Woht24@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

His whole statement is correct, I've seen it time and time again.

Your comment didn't even elaborate which part you were disagreeing with?

[-] ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I'm not either of those guys, but in my experience it has nothing to do with their drug of choice and more to do with the social tolerances of the overall group. Outside the good bars in my town all three types associate freely.

The notion that pot smokers all look down on users of other drugs is ridiculous.

[-] Woht24@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago

Not all, but definitely a common theme. Heavy drinkers judge smokers. Cigarette smokers judge weed smokers and vice versa.

There's also a lot of people who do all and have no problem, absolutely. But I've seen angst against other drug users in groups of drug users completely straight faced, unaware of the irony, plenty of times.

[-] ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Angst lmao, it's about harm reduction.

[-] gens@programming.dev 1 points 5 months ago

If I assume you are asking, instead of making a statement. Then i am not able to answer since i seem to be unable to see any comments on this post.

Maybe some moderator had a bad day, as only this world news is like that while the whole rest of lemmy.world works fine. Would be nice if i got any... anything about it. Seems harsh.

[-] DillyDaily@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

I mean, a little bit. I had to quit weed for a while job and so I was having a glass of wine at a party and a few people made judgemental comments about how I'm "drinking again".

Similarly, now that I can smoke again, and as the only one in my extended social circle who can roll a joint that burns properly, I'll ask the person who brought the gear if they want me to roll joints, spliffs, or a few of each, and how strong, and again there will be one or two people who say "I can't believe people cut their weed with the tobacco, that's disgusting"

But at the same time, those judgy friends would never campaign for alcohol and tobacco to be completely criminalised. They just think weed is much better.

That said, a few of us were pretty happy to see the 100% vape ban coming into Victoria, not so much from the drug side of it, but I'm sick of seeing "disposable" vapes everywhere and seeing the parking lot bins catch fire almost every day at work because people chuck them out and the batteries explode.

[-] ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Having experienced some of life, and having seen what can happen with things like meth coke fentanyl tranq etc., I can see why commenters in this thread might think pot smokers think they're better than others when they hear things like "weed and shrooms only." Those other things do sound worse. I can't imagine wanting to try them tbh.

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this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2024
506 points (98.1% liked)

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