To all Thais, now you can proudly brag that we're the first Asian country to legalise marijuana. The new milestone was marked on June 9, 2022, when growing and trading cannabis were no longer a crime in Thailand. Smoking gets a green light too, but puffing a joint in public is still prohibited. With a newfangled marijuana business popping up around the city, we list dispensaries in Bangkok for those who are curious. We also asked the weedness-owners about their backgrounds and basics for begin-stoners.
The Dispensary
Tucked near the bustling Silom neighbourhood, The Dispensary (IG: thedispensary.th.) raised the curtain a day after the green light was on. The eye-catching mint staircase in front of the Woof Pack building on Sala Daeng 1 Alley leads to a medical cannabis shop where, to us, the place feels like a gallery. Imagine a room with an appealing industrial-style interior, with wall shelves displaying classy jars exhibiting countless puffy green buds. A long, polished counter shows off the buds of the week, with a digital menu on a tablet that trots out each strain's characteristics. Behind the counter are friendly "budtenders" who will ask about your preferences and experience with weed.
Kittaphat Anuchachat.
We talked to Kittaphat "Joseph" Anuchachat, a stoner-turned-business owner and one of The Dispensary's co-founders. He shared with us that what got him on this green path was the medical boons of marijuana. "I was inspired by how marijuana can alleviate my best friend's dad's sickness. From the beginning, I witnessed the whole story from when a boy grew the plant to reap a cure for his dad." When cannabis was legalised for medical reasons, Joseph seized the opportunity and co-founded Taratera, a cannabis consulting and lab corporation, with his partners.
Joseph shared that The Dispensary is built around his own experiences and mistakes. "I don't want beginners to make the same mistake as I did when I THC-overdosed when adding too much weed to an edible I made. It was awful. I even went to a hospital to get a check-up. However, the funny story was that my body was fine and I just had a panic attack."
(Photos: The Dispensary)
He added, "I'm sure that a bad-high experience could happen to everyone. So, I set up a shop where customers could learn and understand what they were going to deal with. We don't provide an online ordering and delivery service. Instead, we have a team who will provide basic info about weed based on customers' experiences and preferences. After opening our doors for a week, I met many cannabis users with different backgrounds. They're so open-minded and aren't afraid to ask us for some advice."
"Don't bite off more than we can chew", is what Joseph told us when we asked for advice for beginners. "Know your limit and try a few puffs first," he added. And "a cannabis-infused edible is not a good call for newbies." Sinking our teeth into creative activities is what he recommended for us when we were weed-high. And his last words were, "Don't forget your munchies."
Bong Party
If you're thinking about a starter kit, Bong Party (bong-party.com) has got the whole package. Atit "Folk" Supadit Na Ayutthaya, owner of Bong Party, turned his heartbreak story into fuel for business. "I was heartbroken when I dropped my favourite glass bong, which I bought from an antique store at Chatuchak Market. It broke into pieces like my shredded heart. I wasn't that upset about its rarity, but the fact that it cost me an arm and a leg!" Finding a bong or a smoking gadget, that's too obvious for smoking weed, wasn't easy back then, and there were only a few retailers, he said. After realising the pain point based on his own experiences, he set up a shop, where he gathered every smoking accessory for all stoner needs.
Atit Supadit Na Ayutthaya. (Photo courtesy of Atit Supadit Na Ayutthaya)
Bong Party is tucked away in Srinagarindra 53 Alley, in one of the rows of garage units of U Sa-at Market. If you can't find the place, try to look for a striking mural in front of the shop. Inside, there are a plethora of bongs in different sizes, from glass to acrylic, along with other smoking accessories like rolling papers, pipes, grinders and a cleaning kit. "I recommend the in-house brand dubbed 'Galaxy' as I selected the quality of glass myself." The day after the state announced that marijuana is no longer a crime to sell, Folk seized the occasion while offering a selection of cannabis buds at his shop that could only be purchased there. "My goal is to create a one-stop-service shop where people can find anything they need.
"However, I would like a word with all beginners that being a stoner wasn't that cool. Cannabis is still new to our society, meaning people can make mistakes by misusing and misinterpreting weed. Please don't show off that you're smoking weed, whether in online or offline worlds. You will only ruin the value and trust that many have built for so long."
Folk has shared his first-hand experience and a few tips to help you avoid a 'bad high'. "For those who have felt like dying from getting a big hit of weed, what you have to do first is to calm down. You have a panic attack, meaning you have taken too much THC for your body to absorb. By the way, it's called leung [yellow] in Thai. Try taking a sip of a soft drink and lying down for a bit. You will be better soon after a nap."
Out of curiosity, we talked to him about getting cannabis edibles, yet his answer was a hard no to eating THC-infused goodies if you only have a few experiences with weed. "Eating is another thing compared to smoking weed. Puffing a joint is what I recommend, then you can try weed with a bong."
Even though smoking weed may brighten your day or let you stay laser-focused for a while, it also has side effects, said Folk. "You might be more forgetful than usual when stoned or lazy as your body is relaxed. A word of caution when hanging out with stoned friends: don't leave your food with them because you won't get it back."
Highland Cafe
On Lat Phrao Road, with easy access to MRT Phahon Yothin's Exit 2, Highland Cafe (fb.com/Highlandcafebkk) has stood its ground as a 420-friendly cafe ever since before marijuana was legal. With a down-to-earth vibe, people were here not only to purchase the green spirit but also to chill out with a cup of coffee and a pint of craft beer. The man behind this coffee shop by day and the bar by night is Rattapon "Guide" Sanrak, a marijuana enthusiast who educates the public about weed through his Facebook community "Highland".
(Photos: Highland Cafe)
It's almost a decade since Guide has run his online cannabis community. He went down this road since he was intrigued by the outstanding medical benefits of cannabis. "When I studied in the United States, I was told a lot about the medical benefits of marijuana. Yet, I never experienced them myself until I tried a puff of weed, and it alleviated my chronic migraine. I dig deep into the ins and outs of using the plant medically, wishing to take advantage of marijuana and find a way to ease my mother's suffering from her final stage of cancer."
However, his mother rejected all medical cannabis he offered because weed was seen as purely bad by Thais back then. Guide started Highland shortly after his mother passed away. The online cannabis community he runs provides information, intending to shed light on the misunderstandings about weed.
After five years of pushing forward the cannabis industry in Thailand, Guide decided to set up a physical club where he and his people could meet in person. "Highland Cafe is where I want like-minded people to meet in person while shooting the breeze about their beloved plants," he said.
When we asked him how ready Thai society is now that weed has been legalised, he told us that everyone, including rule-makers, vendors and users, are still confused about this new stuff. "It's just the beginning of the new leaf. People still have a blurred understanding of marijuana, yet they're so hyped up about it regardless of its upsides and downsides. For the record, it's no doubt why most of us aren't aware of the effects of marijuana because we have never been educated about it as it was labelled as a drug", he concluded.
Rattapon Sanrak.
