High and rollin': Hundreds join first Cannabis Cup in Thailand
MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of puffers trooped to a rooftop in Bangkok to claim one of the prizes and to smoke their favorite joint at the inaugural Cannabis Cup.
Since the ruling of the Thai government lifting cannabis or marijuana off its banned narcotics list last June, many welcomed the good news, including Matita 'Mameaw' Promjai.
Promjai organized the first Cannabis Cup held in Bangkok early this month.
She told AFP that she organized the event because she was a "stoner" herself.
As the event went late into the night, 10 remained to vie for the three cup prizes: fastest joint roller, most creative joint, and best Thai cannabis variety.
The winners were judged by the crowd, who were given five joints each upon arrival.
Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize cannabis after Canada and Uruguay.
It decriminalized the use of cannabis but designated it as a controlled herb and banned the sales of all parts to people under the age of 20 and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Businesses must have license to sell and must also report to the government the amount of controlled herb stocks they hold as well as details of their sources and uses. They are also required to inform the government each time they export controlled herbs.
In a November report on Bloomberg.com, it said that Thailand has slightly revised its rules on the sale and use of cannabis as a "controlled herb."
The revised rule said that only the cannabis bud, which is the flower that has the concentration of cannabinoid drugs, is considered a controlled herb.
Commercial advertising, sales to students and sales through vending machines and electronic or online channels are also prohibited.
"The previous version listed the whole cannabis plant as controlled, which made it difficult to be used for medical, health and economic purposes. As the draft bill is not yet complete, we need to control it in ways that still allow beneficial uses," Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, director-general of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, was quoted in the article. — With reports from AFP
