The Ganja Gold Rush: Selling the Green Dream

An essential factor in Bhumjaithai’s success in the elections arguably was from it’s audacious Pro-marijuana campaign. Now that its leaders are at the helm of both the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, will Thailand’s Green dream be realised? Or will it all go up in smoke?

 

July 18th, 2019, Thailand’s controversy hardened government begins to address their policies to the public, perhaps more eager and enthusiastic than any other constituents were the people who voted for the Bhumjaithai party. For many within the constituents of Bhumjaithai it is a matter of life and death, wellbeing and sickness, and of freedom or imprisonment. The pro-weed population of Thai had never been politically enticed with such a campaign ever before.

 

Thailand has had its share of the Marijuana drama. Despite the plant’s extensive listings in traditional herbal remedy recipes, Ganja has been demonized and their users stigmatized. But as the world is swayed with more and more pro-cannabis literature, and the lucrativeness of legalized marijuana markets were being realized. The bandwagon for legalizing marijuana filled up quickly, as did the bandwagon for criminalising it.

Bhumjaithai rode the “green” bandwagon right into office as virtually the sole political representative for legalizing medicinal marijuana, and even implying recreational use. The overt Ganja Saree (Libralize Marijuna) campaigning placards promoting Bhumjaithai’s pro marijuana policies grabbed the attention of the media and public. Of course, weed was not the only policy Bhumjaithai had, but it was the most probable to attract a whole new segment of the population to vote for them. This relatively new political segment have been dubbed “สายเขียว” (Sai Kheow), which can be translated as “Green Route“. Bhumjaithai’s political success via Sai Kheow was consolidated with its leaders proclaiming that the party will not join a coalition that does not support legislation that will enable legal status for marijuana consumption.

 

However, the lucrativeness of the household production of the Green Gold is questionable, the Thai Stick maybe good, but it’s not that good.

“Marijuana will be able to generate additional income to farmers because overseas the price is as high as 70,000 baht ($2,230) per kg,”  Reuters reporting a quote from the party’s website.

The global market of legalized marijuana is way more advanced than in Thailand, and the medical status of marijuana has been mostly anecdotal rather than clinically proven. All we can really say for the effectiveness of THC and CBD based medication is that they are idiosyncratic.

So, is the Green Dream just another puff of smoke? Maybe the more pressing question is will this government be around long enough to even initiate a legislation that will make Bhumjaithai voters proud? The Sai Kheow will have to wait and see if they’ve hit pot jackpot, or if they fell for another political plot.