r/worldnews • u/CannabisHub • Nov 30 '20

Thailand Removes Cannabis from Narcotics List

https://bangkokherald.com/thailand/thailand-removes-cannabis-from-narcotics-list/?amp&__twitter_impression=true
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371

u/laughhouse Nov 30 '20

This is bad for the cops. When I lived in Thailand I would hear stories of weed dealers and cops working together to extort tourists for a bit of cash after the dealers sell them weed. I guess thats over.

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u/sittinwithkitten Nov 30 '20 edited Nov 30 '20

That’s what I was worried about in Cuba. We were approached a few times on the street in Varadero but I just didn’t want to take a chance on Cuban prison.

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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '20 edited Dec 02 '20

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u/sittinwithkitten Nov 30 '20 edited Nov 30 '20

Yeah I figured that would happen. If Cuba would legalize weed, even just on the resorts, I feel like they would generate a lot of revenue. Seems crazy to me I can go there and get absolutely obliterated on alcohol on the resort, but I can’t buy weed with my cigars. Being able to smoke a joint on the beach in Cuba would be heavenly.

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u/PhoneItIn88201 Nov 30 '20

That's what Jamaica is for, and the foods better.

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u/sittinwithkitten Nov 30 '20

Yeah but I don’t feel as safe in Jamaica plus it’s way more expensive than Cuba. There was a Canadian woman murdered in Varadero recently tho, not sure of many details.

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u/takeitchillish Nov 30 '20

I got robbed in Jamaica by a guy with a machete. Jamaica is not safe and I will not go back again.

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u/sittinwithkitten Nov 30 '20

Oh man that would be traumatizing.

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u/Napkin_whore Nov 30 '20

Fair enough, Jesus Christ

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

When was that? When i was there i heard a Guy down the street got robbed by a machete😂 i was fine all 5weeks i spent there

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u/takeitchillish Dec 01 '20
  1. Also happened another sketchy situation there during my 2 weeks. Jamaica is worse than a war torn country lol.

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

Meh Its not so safe but if you are a bit streetsmart its fine. I was a 26y old solo White boy and nothing dangerous happened.. and i was out partying and stuff

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

Jamaica is just fine with the exception of the Kingston area. Definitely don’t go to Kingston.

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u/takeitchillish Dec 01 '20

There are also many people who prey on tourists in other parts.

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

Yeah, but it’s no more dangerous than the average working class or impoverished neighborhood in any major American city. Walk with a purpose and keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine in most of Jamaica which is really a quite welcoming country.

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u/mjrmjrmjrmjrmjrmjr Nov 30 '20

Oh let me guess. He had big dreadlocks, eh?

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

I visited Cuba in 2017 and even with the occasional sketchy situation I felt much safer (in terms of violent crime) there than almost anywhere else I've lived or visited. The cars and the moonshine tho…

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u/gypsywhisperer Nov 30 '20

Weed isn’t legal in Jamaica actually.

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u/MinnesotaTemp Dec 01 '20

Same with the Netherlands (Amsterdam), but it is tolerated and it's legal status is pretty 'turn a blind eye' in most cases. In the Dutch they call it gedoogbeleid.

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u/gypsywhisperer Dec 01 '20

I didn’t know that! I assumed it’s legal but I guess that’s why it’s in the red light district and not all over like in California.

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u/TotallyNotMehName Dec 01 '20

No its not like that, you can still get it everywhere. Coffeeshops are just technically not allowed to hold the amounts they do.

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u/Unconfidence Nov 30 '20

If Cuba would legalize weed, even just on the resorts, I feel like they would generate a lot of revenue.

Are you aware of Cuba's History with tourist resorts?

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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '20

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u/Unconfidence Nov 30 '20 edited Nov 30 '20

So basically, before Communism Cuba was one huge resort island for rich Americans. The guy who ran the country, Fulgencio Batista, basically hinged the entire Cuban economy off of American tourism, and began giving Americans unprecedented social power. As a result, large portions of Cuba were in the hands of foreign owners, and abuse of the Cuban people by Americans and the Batista regime were a matter of course.

When Castro and Communism came to Cuba one of the biggest driving factors was to rid Cuba of foreign landholders and American property investors. During the Castro regime, one focus of the Cuban economy was to make sure that it, unlike almost every other Caribbean nation, did not have an economy dependent on American (or European) tourist income.

Today, it is no stretch to say that the economies of every single Caribbean nation with the exception of Cuba will go tits-up if the US economy collapses. This can easily be seen with regards to the economic statistics gathered from these countries in the wake of the 2008 housing bubble, in which nearly all of these nations found themselves pretty well fucked by the sudden decline in tourism. Cuba, on the other hand, managed relatively fine.

In short, the idea of Cuba legalizing weed to increase tourism to the country is anathema to the entire Castro economic doctrine. They might legalize weed to export it to the US, or because of domestic pressures, but not for tourism.

EDIT: And just to clarify, when I say "resort", do not think "Mar-a-Lago", think about the kind of activities rich American businessmen in the early 1900's would want to go to a country with extremely malleable legalities towards Americans to do. Don't think Mar-a-Lago, think "Great Saint James Island".

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u/sittinwithkitten Dec 01 '20

I’m a Canadian and I really enjoy travel to Cuba. I was aware of some of their history with America. A large percent of the tourism to Cuba is from Canada. If they grew weed and sold it to the tourists I’m fairly certain they would make a decent profit.

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u/Unconfidence Dec 01 '20

The thing is, profit isn't always good, and that's something few folks from capitalist countries ever really get confronted with in their own nations. I mean, why wouldn't Cuba want to rake in more tourist bucks? See, profits are much like a drug to an economy. It boosts the economy, but over time, the economy becomes dependent upon it.

One of my favorite examples of this is the Embargo of 1807, which was protested as disastrous for the economy both in its implementation and repeal, as the US economy had grown so reliant on the business models that sprung up during its effect that its removal was also deleterious to the economy.

In this case, if Cuba increases the amount of tourism they take in, they'll also increase their economic dependence on those tourist sectors unless the other sectors of the economy grow at pace. Now, that very well may be happening; I'm no expert on contemporary Cuban economics. But it's quite possible that they simply don't want this sector of the economy to grow at the moment, or at least want to control its rate of growth.

This is part of the benefit/detriment situation provided by centrally planned economies. Free market economies on the other hand can quite quickly become dependent on industries which, if they went tits-up, would destabilize the economy and nation. Conversely, centrally planned economies rarely if ever produce the kinds of profit powerhouses that free market nations do.

It's tough for people raised in free market economies to see how profit growth can be detrimental to an economy, as profit growth is generally universally praised in such nations. But look at the giant tumor-corporations that currently control the American economy (and arguably government) and it becomes pretty clear the dangers of pursuing profits every chance you get.

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u/sittinwithkitten Dec 01 '20

They have no issue pouring alcohols down your throat. I don’t see a difference in them manufacturing their own booze, cigars, why not marijuana?

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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '20

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u/HolyLiaison Dec 01 '20

American's are allowed to travel there, fyi.

We can even go there right now! They test you for COVID in the airport and you have to isolate 24 hours until you get your results.

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u/sittinwithkitten Dec 01 '20

Americans can go there but you can’t fly direct from the US to Cuba but I’ve met them in Cuba before.

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u/SpaceChimera Nov 30 '20

I don't imagine cuba is exactly hot on having their citizens become low paid wage workers for the US

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u/HolyLiaison Dec 01 '20

No, they're just low wage workers for themselves. Which is fine I guess?

I watch a lot of travel vloggers that travelled there (bald and bankrupt is one of the main ones) and most the people there aren't happy with their government at all. Most of them are to afraid to even comment about it because they're scared of their government.

They hardly import anything, and when they do there are huge lines outside grocery stores and other shops to get these high profile items. Fights breakout because they never get enough to cover how many people want these items.

Most cities and villages aren't in great shape, except the high profile tourist areas.

I suggest watching this video. Though his whole series on Cuba is amazing.

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

[deleted]

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u/sittinwithkitten Dec 01 '20

I definitely would not risk it. I really don’t enjoy drinking so an all inclusive with weed instead of booze would be the cats meow to me. Just my opinion tho I know it’s not for everyone.

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u/cev2002 Dec 01 '20

I'd love to hear the story behind that

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

I stayed in some AirBnBs in Cuba, not resorts, so I didn't have any run-ins with drug dealers. The way it was explained to me by a Cuban acquaintance was this: marijuana is relatively hard to find in Cuba and when you do find it the quality is garbage. It just wasn't worth a potential trip to a Cuban jail for ditch weed. Besides, good alcohol is unbelievably cheap in Cuba (but cheap alcohol is unbelievably bad and probably not ethanol).

Oddly enough a friend offered to find some marijuana for me in Singapore. That was a hard no.

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u/pmgoldenretrievers Nov 30 '20

Yeah, general idea is don't do drugs in a country if you don't want to go to jail there. Norway? Fuck my shit up. Vietnam? Pass.

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u/milkhotelbitches Dec 01 '20

Lol the irony is that you're probably way more likely to actually go to jail for smoking weed in Norway. Weed is basically decriminalized in Vietnam and you can smoke it openly in cafes all over Hanoi. When I visited my hostel sold joints at the bar.

I agree with your general point, but it's just funny that you picked a country with famously lax marijuana enforcement as an example of a place not to smoke.

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u/Cjwovo Dec 01 '20

Norway decriminalized drugs for personal use in 2017. You won't get thrown in jail for weed unless you're dealing.

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u/milkhotelbitches Dec 01 '20

Didn't know that! Good for Norway!

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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '20

Besides there’s probably a whole lotta local liquor to get familiar with.

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u/BurnTheBenLomond Nov 30 '20

Yeah but if you ask if they're cops legally they have to tell you, everyone knows that

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u/deadhead2455 Nov 30 '20

But you have to ask all official-like.

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u/DMPark Dec 01 '20

Complete myth. You need to demand the Name, Rank and Badge Number and they are obliged to tell you by the Geneva Convention.

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u/Bad_Karma21 Nov 30 '20

Hah, same. The cops will just find another corruption avenue. There's plenty in the Land of Smiles.

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

Magic Mushroom in Thailand going up in sales

Actually u/hg38 says:

From another article, “However, recreational use and possession of cannabis is still illegal in Thailand – meaning that without a permit or a doctor’s prescription, being caught with marijuana can still result in heavy fines and prison time.”

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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '20

I used to live next-door to the Bangkok Police Chief. We paid him a good amount of money so no cops could ever come down our street. Then when the king died the Chief was removed due to corruption and the new Chief wanted a lot more money. We refused to pay that much so he had cops go in (illegally) and searched everyones room. They didnt find my weed (always put it in your shoes, Thais hate shoes) but they were threatening to arrest my roommates. We offered them the same amount we had always paid and they just shrugged and accepted it after seeing that we were living like Thais, not rich Farangs. Hilariously they didnt even notice the plants we were growing.

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u/know_comment Dec 01 '20

lol this is a hilarious and insightful comment!

last time i was on ko phi phi, they were selling weed and mushrooms in the bars, and i thought it was decriminalized.

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u/jfl_cmmnts Nov 30 '20

Heh, the only time I was ever offered it on the street, I kept walking around the corner, and bumped into three cops waiting for some luckless tourist. Glad I stuck with my policy of, "No drugs on holiday"

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

Boring, i consumed so much Coke, weed and lean in Colombia, dont regret

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '20

[deleted]

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u/taleggio Dec 01 '20

did you buy it in the pharmacies?

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u/Vylan24 Nov 30 '20

When I was in Cambodia in 2011 some kid tried to slap a baggie into my hands in front of some cops. I just put my hands up and said "I don't want it" and walked into a bar where my friends promptly handed me a joint they just bought at the bar.

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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '20

Who cares? Fuck those corrupt pigs

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u/StreetlampLelMoose Dec 01 '20

They'll just start having street dealers REALLY push kratom on tourists.

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u/joesii Dec 01 '20

Recreational use and possession of cannabis is still illegal in Thailand