Police Seize 500Kg of Marijuana Left on Mekong River Bank

Drug suppression police have seized 500 kilograms of high grade marijuana left on the bank of the Mekong river in That Phanom district late on Tuesday night.

Rear Adm Jaraskiat Chaiyaphan, commander of Mekong Riverine Unit, said a team on routine patrol found 10 sacks left on the Mekong riverbank. The sacks contained a total of 500 kilograms of high grade marijuana.

Authorities believe the sacks were brought across the river by boat from Laos and left there to be collected by a drug smuggling network. Nobody was arrested.

About 3 tons of high grade marijuana had been seized by the Riverine Unit during the past month, Rear Adm Jaraskiat said.

In 2019, Thailand was the first Southeast Asian country to legalize cannabis for medical purposes. The country has now further loosened restrictions and now allows food and cosmetics products containing cannabis leaves, stems, stalks and roots.

Majority of Thailand’s Population Approve of Legal Marijuana

Marijuana is “not illegal” anymore in Thailand, but there are still certain limitations on its use. This has made companies hold back from an accelerated entrance into the market. Consumer preferences also remain unknown.

Nikkei Research conducted a survey targeting people aged 20 to 59 in Greater Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 700 responses were collected through an online survey in June 2021, and the data was weighted by age group for analysis.

Nearly 90% (the cumulative total of “I am very aware” and “I have heard about it but don’t know the details”) knew about the recent deregulation allowing cannabis in herbal cosmetics, food products and medical products in Thailand.

Among respondents in Thailand, 64% are willing to try products containing low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance found in cannabis, within the legal range. Over 70% can be said to be “intenders,” including those who are willing to use it if it is recommended by friends or family (7%).

Meanwhile, the movement to legalize cannabis (marijuana) for medical and/or recreational use is spreading across the world to a limited but expanding extent. However, what is meant by “legalization” differs greatly by country.