Thailand’s cannabis sellers say US growers are eating their lunch

Local cannabis growers say their business is being undercut by cheaper illegal imports from overseas
Al Jazeera
Monday, May 8, 2023

thailand 420Nearly a year after Thailand decriminalised cannabis amid promises of an economic bonanza, Thai growers and sellers say they are being undercut by illegal imports from the United States that sell for a fraction of the price of homegrown buds. Thailand struck cannabis from its list of banned narcotics in June 2022 after a high-profile campaign by Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to establish the kingdom as a global hub for cannabis for medical purposes. But Thailand’s parliament has yet to pass a long-awaited cannabis bill, leaving the regulatory framework for the industry in limbo. The Bhumjathai Party’s big promises have predictably fallen flat, with big money from the US, the Netherlands and Canada dashing hopes of a booming domestic industry, according to veteran cannabis advocate Chokwan “Kitty” Chopaka.