Cannabis usage, once seen as taboo, is quickly becoming decriminalized and legalized around the globe. While medical marijuana usage has been legal in Thailand since 2019, it has only become decriminalized on June 9, 2022.
According to this New York Times article about the legalization of weed in Thailand, “Many countries in the Asia Pacific region give long prison terms to people convicted of marijuana possession, consumption or trafficking. Until recently, that was also the case in Thailand, which is led by a former general who seized power in a 2014 coup. But when it removed marijuana flowers (the part of the plant that one smokes to get high) from its narcotics list in June, the nation instantly became an extreme regional outlier on drug policy.
The change was part of a plan to promote small-scale cannabis farming, and officials have since added a few caveats. Smoking weed in public is prohibited, for example. Food products can contain only very low doses of THC, the plant’s psychoactive component. And all sales are technically for medical rather than recreational purposes, though sellers do not require buyers to produce doctor’s notes. (Thailand has allowed cannabis use under medical supervision since 2019.)”
I’m not sure what Phuket looked like before decriminalization, as this was my first visit, but I can tell you there was a dispensary every few feet. There were definitely options. However, many looked quite sterile and uninviting, as if to signal to us tourists: get in and get out.
But there was one particular dispensary that kept me coming back: 420 Route Kamala. It instantly became a favorite of mine. I found it highly inviting, ranging from the female budtenders to the comfy seating. They offer about 10+ strains at a time, an equal balance of sativas, indicas, and hybrids, some of them exotic; the shop also stocks edibles and drinkables. I was also very excited that they carried a rare strain that I’d been looking for for months, Acapulco Gold, and somehow had never managed to cross paths with in the states. Acapulco Gold is a sativa that carries notes of honey and coffee; it’s smooth and relaxing yet simultaneously uplifting.
The budtenders are friendly, making conversation. You pick which strain you want, and they will grind and fill a pre-rolled cone. Or, you can get your flower and do whatever you please.
After my purchase, I was invited to sit, smoke and chill. The first time I visited 420 Route Kamala, it was full, with almost every seat occupied but not uncomfortably packed, with people relaxing, enjoying each other, and playing video games.
It’s interesting to see how cannabis is shaping culture in Thailand or vice versa. I noticed it when visiting Muchacha, a clothing store in Old Phuket Town. Some pieces from their beautiful new collection featured a colorful, hazy pattern of cannabis leaves. It’s also worth noting that there appears to be a growing Jamaican/Rastari culture around the island. I didn’t get much chance to explore this, but I noticed a few Rasta flags in a few venues. There was also an instance of a man sporting locs in one of these venues trying to get my attention as I walked down the street.
When I return, one thing I’m excited about and curious to see is if there is any evolution in cuisine. I didn’t find any jerk in Thailand but imagine if that becomes a thing, I know it would be a flavor explosion!
420 Route Kamala is located at 94/41 Kamala, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand