Weed shops to provide smoke spots

People buy cannabis from a mobile stall on Khao San Road. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
People buy cannabis from a mobile stall on Khao San Road. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

The government will require cannabis sellers on Khao San Road to operate their own smoking areas to help keep the local environment free of the smell of marijuana.

The Department of Thai Traditional and Complementary Medicine had said that licensed cannabis sellers were allowed to distribute cannabis buds, but it was against the law to allow cannabis smoking as well as eating of the herb in their shops.

Khao San Business Association president Sanga Ruangwattanakul said on Monday that local entrepreneurs had already prepared a separate zone, called Plantopia, for weed selling and smoking.

"We are complying with the Public Health Ministry announcement on cannabis which bans smoking in our shops. Therefore, we have prepared a cigar bar in Plantopia which is an excluded site away from public areas. We provide cleaning services and an air-ventilating system at the bar," said Mr Sanga.

He added that he wished to see more support for the recreational use of cannabis, but agreed there should be designated zones.

When asked to elaborate on the concept of Plantopia, Mr Sa-nga said that it is a hub for cannabis-based products such as cannabis bud extracted oils, cannabis massage oils, seasonings and other products.

He emphasised that licensed cannabis sellers should record the acquisition of their products and document their buyers' purchase history.

Mr Sanga also said that there are about 15 cannabis sellers in Khao San Road who lawfully hold a licence to sell, but there are many more hawkers who sell in public without a licence.

Vocabulary

  • acquisition: the process of buying something; something that has been bought - การซื้อ, การได้มาซึ่งการเข้าถือสิทธิ์
  • cannabis (noun): marijuana; a drug made from the dried leaves and flowers or resin of the hemp plant, which is smoked or eaten and which gives the user a feeling of being relaxed. Use of the drug is illegal in many countries. - กัญชา
  • designated: marked, separated, or given a name for a particular purpose - ถูกกำหนด
  • elaborate: to add more information to or explain something that you have said - อธิบายเพิ่มเติม
  • emphasise: to stress something such as an idea, fact or detail; to explain or show why something is important - เน้น
  • entrepreneur: someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves risks - นักลงทุนทางการเงิน
  • extract: to remove a substance from another substance - สกัด
  • hawker: someone who sells goods informally in public places - คนหาบเร่,คนเร่ขายของ
  • herb: a plant normally used as a medicine or for adding flavour to food - สมุนไพร
  • recreational: involving enjoyment - เกี่ยวการสันทนาการ
  • seasoning: substances added to food to improve its flavor - เครื่องปรุงรส
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