Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Cannabis. We are actually discussing a pretty major issue involving the Cannabis space and one thing that gets foreigners here especially jammed up in the Cannabis space. As we have discussed in other videos, there have been many vicissitudes that have occurred throughout the legalization sort of process if you will here in Thailand since 2022 when it was first legalized by the then Public Health Minister Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, now Prime Minister and I believe Interior Minister of Thailand.

There have been a lot of changes but long story short, it remains legal; there are certain regulations that depending on your circumstances may or may not apply. But foreigners one, as I have discussed in other videos, need to be careful when engaging in the Cannabis Business here in Thailand as the business of Cannabis is a different matter. As I have discussed in other videos, it pertains to agriculture. That can have significant implications because agriculture is a highly restricted occupation here in Thailand; any kind of foreign undertaking of agricultural activity is going to be scrutinized heavily and there could be serious penalties for engaging in that if you are a foreigner. But that being said, there may be certain areas where foreigners can interact in a business sense in the Cannabis space but there are, again there are a lot of parameters that are still somewhat opaque, and this can lead to real problems for foreigners. 

I thought of this issue after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Latest British video glimpses Bangkok night life behind the curtain. Quoting directly and the thrust of that video, or article, goes a different way. I urge those who are watching this video, check out that article for further insight. That said, quoting directly: "There is useful footage about the British Embassy in Bangkok and what they can and can't do for distressed nationals. There has been an increase in the number of Brits arrested since delisting of Cannabis as a narcotic because taking the stuff out of the country still requires an export license." So yeah, that's an important thing to note. And import-export matters pertaining to Cannabis, you are talking about very discreet aspects of the law and not going to be something that a foreigner is going to have an easy time navigating, if even possible at all under present circumstances. 

So the idea of import-export of cannabis to and from Thailand from a legal sense, that one, is covered by Customs generally speaking because it involves import/export, but also because of the opaque nature of Cannabis' posture at least regulatory, as I have discussed in other videos. Domestically to my mind it is clearly legal; it is what it is. There are certain regulations pertaining to its status as a "controlled herb" but aside from that, we know what its posture is inside the country. Now when you are dealing with international transport, transshipment as well as international boundaries, that is a different matter; that's where Customs comes in to begin with and then the specifics pertaining to Cannabis, because there are international protocols that can have an impact once you are outside the national boundaries of Thailand if you will. 

So the thing to take away from this video especially as a foreigner, is one, to be extremely careful when trying to navigate the business environment of Cannabis here in Thailand. Also you need to be an extra level of careful when you are talking about that in the context of import and export. As we discussed in other videos, there have been folks that have been arrested in other jurisdictions - even detained here in Thailand - involving usually large amounts of Cannabis that they are attempting to transship. That is not a position you want to find yourself in. Those who find all of this sort of overwhelming and are interested in figuring out what the nuances are with respect to Thai law on the topic of Cannabis, it is probably not a terrible idea to contact a legal professional, gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.