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Cannabis Legalisation in Thailand Has Begun With an Accidental Giant Leap
Thailand briefly became the world’s most progressive cannabis country
Asia has some of the strictest cannabis laws in the world with some very harsh penalties. At the extreme end, in the Philippines, not so long ago thousands of people were being shot in the street in extrajudicial killings, even just for suspected use. The president himself had called for the killings.
In Malaysia in 2018, a man was sentenced to death for possession of cannabis oil. At the time, 900 others were on death row for drug offences. Luckily for them, the country abolished its death sentence just in time. Still, Asia is not a place to be involved with any illegal drugs, however harmless they may be.
Then, suddenly, a country in Asia briefly became the most liberal country in the world where cannabis is concerned — by having no laws around it at all. Its laws moved faster than anyone expected. Including the Thai lawmakers. It had happened by accident.
Cannabis confusion in Thailand
Thailand recently abolished its cannabis laws and completely decriminalised it. It was, for a few days, completely legal and cannabis stalls popped up quickly. This is a little hard to believe with…
