Don’t grow weed without registering on an app, get official permission before conducting research, and only buy weed-powered health products through the right channels.
That’s just a few of the less than helpful 10 things tourists need to know about cannabis, according to a lol-worthy infographic put out today by the Public Health Ministry for non-Thai speaking foreigners who come to savor the wonder of Thai cannabis.
Dubbed 10 Things Tourists Need to Know about Cannabis in Thailand, the English-language guide is an officially sanctioned work created by health officials, and will be followed by translations into languages such as Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Russian, according to the ministry’s Narong Apikulwanich.
The guides will be available at tourism centers across the country, Narong said. An online version will be made available at a later date by the Health Ministry.
Among the helpful entries: “Cannabis cultivation is legal, but registering in the Food and Drug Administration’s ‘Plook Ganja’ application or through the government website is required.”
Because every tourist is just dying to bring a crop to yield during their two-week holiday, right? Or this, for the many arrivals planning to visit the temples, beaches, and conduct a little scientific research during their stay:
“Using cannabis flower buds for research, export, sale, and processing for commercial purposes requires an official permit.”
This could be even more useful than the time they advised us to stop caressing birds or drinking acid rain, grow taller and use smaller condoms.
Of slightly more utility is No. 8, which pertains to smoking outdoors. The guide declares this is illegal – which is not actually true. Police can fine people for smoking outdoors if someone, including a cop, deems them a public nuisance and they fail to heed a warning.
More than a series of context-free bullet points that do little to explain much of anything, the guide is available through a very spammy QR code that loads a pop-up ad that, once clicked through, requires a Google account login to download it from a shared drive. FTFY, guys.
To save you the trouble, we have generously listed all “10 things” tourists gotta know ‘bout weed in Thailand right here:
- Transporting seeds or parts of the cannabis plant to or from Thailand is not permitted.
- Cultivation of cannabis is legal provided growers register on the Food and Drug Administration’s Plook Ganja application or via a relevant government website.
- Using cannabis flower buds for research, export, sale or processing for commercial purposes requires official permission.
- Cannabis cannot be consumed by people under the age of 20, pregnant or breastfeeding women except under the supervision of health professionals.
- Possession of extracts containing more than 0.2% THC and synthetic THC requires permission.
- Cannabis in food is only available in authorized restaurants.
- Approved cannabis health products are accessible through specific channels.
- Smoking cannabis in public places, including schools and shopping malls, is illegal.
- Avoid driving after consuming food or products containing cannabis.
- Those who have a bad reaction to cannabis are advised to immediately see the doctor for treatment.
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