For International Media, Thai Cannabis News Is All Bad All The Time

Thailand’s “cannabis bonanza disappoints“, and has “alarmed some health experts” and the industry’s promise of a cash crop has gone “up in smoke“. I know many Thais in cannabis who are not disappointed in the least. And the health experts who are “alarmed” must not be among the thousands who are researching cannabis medicine in every major university in Thailand — or those who are treating cannabis patients. The media’s clear preference for fear-mongering over relating simple facts speaks to the eternal allure of propaganda. Propaganda raises eyebrows. It makes you afraid and judgemental of others. Most importantly, it keeps you reading. It will never go away as long as lazy journalists can rely on it as a shortcut to growing an audience. Poor Farmer/ Rich Farmer No one claimed – contrary to the suggestion in the story – that growing cannabis will make poor farmers rich. Poor farmers almost never become rich farmers. Ever. Everyone knows this. Or everyone except Reuters knows this. Cannabis becoming a cash crop does not require that it make cannabis farmers rich. It means that with enough foreign direct investment, farming families can expect new agricultural jobs to come to rural areas. Those areas can look forward to increased quality of life in general, with new roads and bridges, better plumbing, and employment opportunities that offer on-the-job training. Imports Are A Benefit To The Receiving Country Foreign investment is another area that the media gets upside down when talking about cannabis in Thailand. The Reuters story parrots the complaint of some smaller growers in Thailand that weed from the US created an oversupply in the Thai market. The only reason importing cannabis is illegal is because of international prohibition undertaken by the Drug Enforcement Agency in the US. The complainers, Reuters, and the DEA are of one voice on this: anyone from country A who sells cannabis to country B is a criminal. Of course, some countries have rejected international cannabis prohibition and freely import and export cannabis. Many are planning to do so soon. The second fact that gets overlooked is that foreign growers who legally grow in Thailand have been exceedingly greedy. For the first several months after June 9, 2022, it was not uncommon to see quality indoors weed @ $30 USD per gram. Remember, this is in a developing country with low production costs. Yet many smaller growers went right along with inflated prices at the beginning of the dispensary surge and kept them as high as possible throughout the year. Now the tourists are leaving and the people who live here are looking at the prices per gram and saying, “You’re joking, right?” Rather than make hard adjustments to align with a new supply and demand curve, some just want to blame “the smugglers”. It seems that what many foreign growers are mad about is not that poor farmers failed to get rich, but rather well-off foreign cultivators failed to rake in millions.

The only thing stopping Thai cannabis from becoming a prosperous, sustainable sector are anti-cannabis political forces and their mouthpieces in the international media.

Frequently Asked Questions

To get a medical cannabis prescription in Thailand, you need to consult with a licensed medical practitioner (doctor, psychiatrist, or traditional Thai medicine practitioner). You can book a consultation through our platform at Cannabox MD, where you'll have a virtual or in-person consultation to discuss your condition and determine if medical cannabis is right for you.

Yes, medical cannabis is legal in Thailand as of 2025. However, it requires a valid prescription from a licensed medical practitioner. Recreational use without a prescription is illegal. The new regulations require all cannabis purchases to be accompanied by proper medical documentation.

Medical cannabis in Thailand can be prescribed for various conditions including chronic pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia, epilepsy, cancer-related symptoms, and other qualifying medical conditions. Your doctor will evaluate your specific situation during the consultation to determine if you qualify.

Medical cannabis prescriptions in Thailand typically last for 30 days, after which you'll need a follow-up consultation to renew your prescription. This ensures proper monitoring of your treatment and allows your doctor to adjust your treatment plan as needed.

No, under the new 2025 regulations, medical cannabis prescriptions are only available to Thai residents and those with valid long-term visas. Cannabis tourism has been explicitly prohibited by the Thai government. Tourists attempting to purchase or possess cannabis without proper authorization face legal consequences.

With a valid prescription, you can access various medical cannabis products including flowers (buds), oils, tinctures, capsules, and topicals. The specific products and dosages will be recommended by your doctor based on your medical condition and treatment needs.

For International Media, Thai Cannabis News Is All Bad All The Time

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author

Carl K Linn

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