Wednesday, 2 August 2023

Cannabis law reform

Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:49): During the winter break I had the opportunity to visit Thailand, where I spent some time in Bangkok and Ko Samui, and it would be no surprise to my colleagues here that I was also there to review what cannabis and the state of play of cannabis look like in Thailand, considering it has just gone 12 months since cannabis was delisted in Thailand. While I was in Bangkok I caught up with a small business owner and formidable advocate for cannabis reform Kitty Chopaka. During my visit with Kitty I got to experience what a dispensary looks like. I got to see what products look like on display – there was a licence clearly displayed – and we had numerous conversations around what regulation has looked like there for Thailand.

Kitty herself has been a staunch advocate to say that regulation has not gone far enough. I guess the impression internationally of law reform in Thailand is that it is a bit of a wild west, and this is simply not true. Business owners there are licensed. They hold a licence in their store. They review your identification when you are coming in. They support a lot of local business growers and work together to be a cooperative rather than a commercial entity. It was amazing to see, and I thank Kitty for her time and energy. I also got to spend some time in a resort, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with my colleagues.