Thai Gov Rushes To Ban Cannabis After Weed-Smelling Coldplay Concert & More Pot Updates

Thailand: Government Will Ban Recreational Cannabis Use 

Thailand Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said Tuesday that a new bill banning recreational marijuana is being urgently pushed to be taken up at next week’s Cabinet meeting, reported Agence France-Presse. 

"The new Bill will be amended from the existing one to only allow the use of cannabis for health and medicinal purposes," Srikaew told reporters. "The use for fun is considered wrong."

Thailand regulated medical marijuana use in 2018 and decriminalized marijuana in June 2022, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to do so and third in the world after Uruguay and Canada. Since then, cannabis stores have proliferated in Thailand, due to a lack of regulation.

 New pressure from the public to reverse cannabis law came after the recent concert of British rock band Coldplay when attendees complained on social media platforms saying "the entire concert smelled like marijuana." 

Will Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin support the bill? It's still unclear, but Thavisin publicly expressed his opposition, saying marijuana should be legal only for medicinal purposes.

Sri Lanka: Cultivation And Export Of Medical Marijuana Allowed 

The Cabinet of Ministers in Sri Lanka on Monday gave a green light to a proposal allowing the cultivation and export of medical marijuana. 

State Minister Diana Gamage told Ada Derana that the process of inviting investors from other countries to support the industry will be organized through the Board of Investment. State Minister of Tourism added that local investors would also have the opportunity to take part.

Canada: Alberta Weed Retailers Can Sell At Special Events 

Alberta cannabis retailers are allowed to sell their products at special events. The new rules took effect Jan. 31, reported MJBizDaily.

Marijuana sales are now permitted at age-restricted events like music festivals or cannabis trade shows. Those retailers who want to sell at these events must first apply for AGLC approval. 

Other cannabis regulation updates in Alberta include allowing licensed cannabis stores to keep marijuana products in "a locked showcase in the customer area after store operating hours," and allowing stores to sell cannabis to each other. 

Related Links: 

Soldiers And Cops Increasingly Allowed To Use Cannabis Globally, From South Africa To Canada, And More Global Updates

Thailand Takes A U-Turn On Weed, Spain’s Health Minister On MMJ Reform And More Global Cannabis Updates 

Canadian Banks Are Leaving Legal Cannabis Businesses Out In The Cold And More Global Weed Updates

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Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Clker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay and Felix Haumann via Pexels