Koh Samui in Thailand the new holiday hotspot as cannabis-infused food and drinks are sought after
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A tropical island paradise just nine hours from Australia has been dubbed the ‘new Amsterdam’ as tourists flock to it following a change in cannabis laws.
Visitors smoking a joint on the beach or even indulging in cannabis-infused pizza is now a common sight on Thailand’s Koh Samui island.
That’s in stark contrast to just a few months ago when people caught possessing cannabis – or ‘ganja’ as it’s called in the area – were given jail time.
Since June, cannabis is no longer classified as an illegal drug in Thailand, and tourists are now turning to the holiday destination to take their relaxation to the next level.
While cannabis is no longer on the banned narcotic list, its recreational use has technically not yet been enacted into law, creating a legal gray area that benefits Koh Samui.
The place dubbed the ‘new Amsterdam’ Koh Samui is just a nine-hour drive from Australia, as tourists flock to the cannabis-ridden vacation spot
Tropical Koh Samui is full of people lounging at luxury beach clubs, cooling off in the pool, drinking alcohol and making the most of their lax cannabis laws
Owner of luxury beach club Chi Samui, Carl Lamb, told the ABC the decriminalization of cannabis has been a game changer.
Technically, while people can be charged with public nuisance smoking — with a maximum penalty of three months in prison and a $1,000 fine — Mr Lamb says police have told him they’ll only stop it at his club if people start to complain.
A jetsetter staying at the resort said he came from the UK to experience the island paradise and said it’s “like the new Amsterdam.”
‘We came [to Thailand] when marijuana wasn’t available, for a month after our trip you could buy weed everywhere – in the bars, in the cafes, on the street. So we smoke it and it’s like, how cool is this? It’s great,” said Carlos Oliver.
A beach club at the vacation spot, Chi Samui, has a separate five-page menu devoted to a range of foods, drinks and desserts that contain marijuana (stock image)
‘Ganja’ has taken over the holiday spot with cannabis-infused food now on the menu on Koh Samui, with many opting to smoke freshly rolled joints poolside.
Chi Samui has a separate five-page menu devoted to a variety of foods, drinks, and desserts that contain marijuana.
It offers cocktails, lemonade, and teas with the drug, as well as appetizers such as hemppus – hummus infused with a green curry hemp sauce and CBD oil.
The main courses include meals such as pasta, pizza, burgers and Thai food, all infused with ‘ganja’.
The meal options also have wonderfully creative names such as “canna get much better brownie,” “pimp my pasta,” “weedy good lamb,” and “chilli con canna.”
The menu includes meals such as pasta, pizza, burgers and Thai food, all infused with ‘ganja’, as well as a range of drinks containing cannabis
Thailand is the first country in Asia to legalize the growth and trade of marijuana.
The change put an end to decades of prohibition, as people can now even grow the plant at home for their own consumption.
However, cannabis extracts, which contain more than 0.2% by weight of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana, remain illegal.
However, Professor Sarana Sommano of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Chiang Mai University said there was still a risk of being charged with lighting in public.
‘There are still risks. The problem is that cannabis is no longer considered a narcotic, but there are no regulations and rules from the ministry for its use,” she said.
When the law came into effect in June, 4,000 prisoners were released who were serving sentences across Thailand for cannabis, marijuana and hemp-related drug offences.
Gloria Lai, Asia Regional Director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, said: “People facing cannabis-related charges will see them dropped, and money and cannabis seized from people accused of cannabis-related offenses will be returned to their owners.’