Buriram province, in Thailand’s northeast, has been anointed the cannabis capital of the country. Farmers and firms there are worried that the upcoming election result could affect their growing businesses.
BURIRAM, Thailand: The smell of the cannabis plants growing in the Thai summer heat fills the air before the crops can even be seen. They reach head height with burgeoning buds, ready for harvest.
The farmers are young and keen to make their mark, and maybe a small fortune, in this new agricultural pursuit. The legalisation of cannabis in Thailand last year - namely allowing its possession, cultivation, distribution, consumption, and sale - came hard and fast. With the drug usage widely uncontrolled, the issue has grown more divisive, politically and throughout the community.It has sparked fierce political sparring in the lead up to this weekend’s election, with parties keen to differentiate themselves from one another to win over voters with strong opinions about cannabis.
“Put cannabis back on the narcotics list then exercise control so that it can create more benefits than harm.” It was the Bhumjaithai Party, under the leadership of deputy prime minister and public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul that ushered in the legalisation of cannabis. “The Bhumjaithai Party does not support the recreational use of marijuana, which is why we have introduced laws to control the misuse of marijuana and support marijuana for medical, health and economic purposes,” he said in a letter addressed to his rival Srettha of Pheu Thai.
“I can never be sure, one day they might just reverse the decision back to making it illegal. If they change the laws, I’ll just have to accept it.” “The concept of making it illegal again does not make sense. No one will get rid of marijuana, but it's about how strict the laws will be. This will be a challenge for the farmers who will have to adapt to the situation,” Siwasan the grower said.
Her enterprise brings local farmers in and equips them with the practical knowledge to start growing their own cannabis crops. The growing process is labour intensive and the plants are sensitive, meaning large-scale adoption is unlikely, she said. He also expects that the cannabis debate, while making headlines around Thailand, will do little to influence local people, who are more concerned about economic issues and likely to be glued-on voters for Bhumjaithai.
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