Thai Locally Grown Cannabis and Accountability by Mendel Menachem

[Once supply grew, the same shops cited cheaper costs of smuggled cannabis](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2516786/580kg-smuggled-ganja-seized) We can thank basic market principles for eliminating the initial excuses for selling smuggled cannabis. An increase of supply eliminated quantity as an excuse to sell imports. Lower costs of getting to market, namely the ability to grow without hiding, brought the price of locally grown cannabis down. Supply will continue to expand as more growers increase their growing capabilities and quality—which will bring the price further down. In addition to those market forces, education, and proactive measures to celebrate high quality Thai growers are necessary to counter the erroneous notion that imported cannabis is superior to Thai cannabis. In fact, Thai cannabis is the highest quality and safest cannabis available within the Kingdom. [Shops throughout Thailand who have “the best weed” are using the best growers](https://www.highthailand.com/strains/) [This was made particularly evident in HighThailand’s recent trip to Chiang Mai](https://www.highthailand.com/category/the-masters-collection/) Without an established or mandated quality control regime in place, the cannabis consumer in Thailand has no place to turn but the reputation of the grower. Following best growing practices and with transparent operations, the above mentioned growers are the closest thing we have to transparent quality control. Ultimately, it will be these same growers who help to establish the acceptable methodology and mechanisms used here in Thailand. In general, the cannabis which is smuggled into Thailand is not of the same caliber as the cannabis described above. Furthermore, the sources of such smuggled cannabis are unknown with farms never identified. In many cases growers in California who cannot sell their crop locally because of quality control issues will sell those flowers to smugglers at cheap prices to salvage the costs of that failed crop. Those flowers are then dumped in Thailand where consumers are told that they are buying “Cali” cannabis and the name of the strain without any other detail. There is no doubt that the quality of cannabis in California is superb. But if you want to try that high quality California cannabis, fly to California where your cannabis will be accompanied by a wealth of information. The cannabis purchased above board in California is not the cannabis which is being smuggled into Thailand. Smuggled cannabis is not the only dubious cannabis on the market. There is no shortage of Thai farms and growers producing complete dreck. Growers who are hastily moving through the curing process, using pesticides and trying salvage grows which should probably be trashed. These are not brick producers, or folks just having fun growing in their back yard, but rather growers trying to compete with legitimate farms and cut corners at the same time. We cannot pretend that this is acceptable, but we should also support a framework which allows these growers to improve their quality. This means first not selling anything which is of dubious quality and especially which may contain pesticides and otherwise have adverse health effects. But also supporting education, proper growth and patience to get through the long process correctly. Many of the master growers referred to above and their supporting shops are already implementing these programs. [We know that we are armchair quarterbacks in the Thai cannabis scene](https://highthailand.com/)