Thailand decriminalized marijuana earlier this month. What does this mean for the country’s weed tourism?
Earlier this month, Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize marijuana. The news is huge and has prompted many to consider adding a new location to their cannabis travel map.
Still, there are a few things to keep in mind as a weed enthusiast considering a trip to Thailand.
In 2018, Thailand legalized the medical use of cannabis. In January of this year, it legalized home growing, even gifting a million cannabis plants to residents in order to encourage their home growth. For tourists, the topic is more complicated.
While decriminalization generally implies that people will no longer face penalties for something, when it comes to cannabis use in Thailand, the issue is much more complex.
Like Thai residents, tourists are allowed to use cannabis if it has a medicinal purpose. They’re also allowed to purchase cannabis-infused products in cafes and restaurants, as long as these have a THC content of under 0.2%. When it comes to smoking weed for fun, the Thai government has made it clear that recreational use remains illegal.
Thailand health minister Anutin Charnviraku spoke with CNN and clarified that cannabis could only be used with a medicinal intent. When discussing recreational cannabis, he said, “Don’t come. We don’t welcome you if you just come to this country for that purpose.”
People caught smoking for recreational uses will have to pay fines of up to $800 and could face up to three months in jail. Still, authorities state that cannabis possession won’t result in imprisonment, but it should be something that tourists keep in mind if wanting to travel there.
Despite the government’s stance on marijuana, there are still ways in which medicinal cannabis could produce revenue for Thailand. The country is a hotspot for wellness and medical tourism, meaning that it could reap the benefits of medicinal cannabis on a national and international level.
Not everyone can or prefers to smoke cannabis — not to mention that smoking or combusting cannabis is really not healthy.
Consuming edibles is often tricky, especially when you have no idea what your body can tolerate. We have different bodies; the way you react to a specific dose of cannabis edible may not be the way the next person does. Body chemistry is unique, and so many factors react with it to determine the intensity of an edible session.
Edibles could make you go from “Oh god, this isn’t working, let me have some more” to a delirious “I think I’ve had too much, where’s my head”? In recent times, the search for fast-acting weed edibles has intensified, whereas a better option could be learning how to hasten the effects of the edibles. Ironically, it’s entirely possible to get an edible labeled “fast action” and still experience the usual delay.
In all honesty, it’s almost impossible to determine whether or not an edible would react quickly in an individual on the first trial. People are instead encouraged to find a variety that does take as much time to induce the high as possible. Get prepared to learn about the various ways to hasten and intensify a high from cannabis edibles as we go along this trip together.
The Art of Eating Edibles
When edibles are consumed, the food material, as well as the cannabis, has to be digested and broken down in the stomach before the cannabinoids can make their way into the bloodstream. This is unlike smoking and vaping, when the inhaled smoke or vapor moves from the lungs and delivers the cannabinoids into the bloodstream immediately, causing the user to feel the buzzing effects of weed in less than 10 minutes.
If you’re new to edibles, here are the factors that determine how long it takes an edible to be broken down and metabolized.
Tolerance
Tolerance describes the amount of cannabinoids the body is used to. If you are a regular weed user, a certain amount of cannabinoid may not be sufficient to induce an effect. For example, if you consume about 7 mg of edibles regularly, at a point, it might not give you the expected strong results. However, if you rarely smoke or vape, that same quantity may seem more than enough.
Basically, you may need to ingest more than the usual quantity to feel a strong effect.
Type of Edible
Some edibles kick in faster than others. Edibles such as infused beverages, baked goods, and gummies take about 50 to 60 minutes to hit. In contrast, sublingual edibles like lozenges, lollipops, or mint strips kick in within 15 to 30 minutes, as the cannabinoids are delivered directly into the bloodstream.
Metabolism and Body Weight
At the end of the day, the delivery rate is mainly dependent on the user’s rate of metabolism and body weight. This determines how long it takes for the edibles ti kick in, how long the buzz would last, and how intense it would be.
Photo by SageElyse/Getty Images
Tricks to Make Edibles Kick in Faster
We’ve come a long way from when you had to wait for an hour or two for your edibles to kick in. With these options, you can hasten up the onset of cannabinoid effects.
While this method results in a hastened onset of the buzz, the effects will fade faster than regular edibles. This is because these sublingual edibles aren’t fat-based.
Consider Infused Drinks
Cannabis- Infused beverages and other drinkables go through the normal digestive system cycle. However, drinks are less bulky and move faster through the route, causing the cannabinoids to be delivered earlier.
You can make your infused drinks with beverages and juices, or you could purchase premade products. Either of these works and is guaranteed to get you high faster than usual edibles.
Take Edibles on an Empty Stomach
This is one of the surest tricks to make an edible hit faster. When you consume edibles alone on an empty stomach, your digestive system has no choice but to process them. When your stomach and digestive tract is filled with food, your body has to process all the food first. There’s no way to modify the digestive process; you have to wait.
As good as this trick is, it’s best practiced by experienced smokers. If you’re a novice cannabis lover with little or no experience, you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage by doing this.
It would be best if you had more than the calories from a dose of edibles to handle the expected high. Rather than enjoy the buzz, you may be left with an unpleasant experience. This is the same regardless of the method of consumption. So, if you’re a regular cannabis user, the best time to consume a THC edible is when you’re hungry. When your body asks for food, you settle it with edibles, i.e., food and some cannabinoids.
Take a Tolerance Break
Try to take a brief break away from consuming cannabis. It could be for a day, weeks, or even a month. The next time you take an edible after this break, expect the effects to kick in faster and feel more intense.
Bottom Line
Edibles for medical purposes are getting more popular by the day. Not everyone can or prefers to smoke cannabis — not to mention that smoking or combusting cannabis is really not healthy.
Gone are the days when edible lovers have to accept the status quo of waiting for one or more hours as unchangeable. Sure, that’s how edibles work, but still, you can improve the products or hasten their effects with the above tips without compromising the amount of time you’ll remain noticeably high.
“The solutions to this situation are beyond obvious at this point, and they don’t involve law enforcement officers putting themselves at risk by dropping out of helicopters or conducting armed raids.”
Federal law enforcement agents and their partners seized over 5.5 million cultivated marijuana plants and made more than 6,600 marijuana-related arrests in 2021, according to annual data compiled by the DEA, reported the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
According to figures published in the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Statistical Report, agents and their partners confiscated approximately 5.53 million cultivated cannabis plants last year — a 20% increase over 2020’s totals. Law enforcement also reported making 6,606 marijuana-related arrests, a 25% increase over the prior year’s totals (when agents reported 4,992 arrests).
The totals are the highest reported by the agency since 2011 when it made an estimated 8,500 weed-related arrests and seized some 6.7 million plants via its domestic eradication program. Since that time, annual arrests have generally trended below 6,000 per year, while cannabis seizures fell to an all-time low in 2018 (when an estimated 2.8 million plants were confiscated).
Commenting on the data, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “At a time when the overwhelming majority of voters support legalization, and when more and more states — and even members of Congress — are moving toward this direction, it is troubling to see federal agents and their local partners reversing course and reinvigorating their marijuana-related enforcement activities.”
NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox added: “The fact that these interdiction efforts are growing — at great cost to the taxpayer — despite increasing momentum for legalization is a testament to the failure of federal prohibition and unnecessarily burdensome state regulatory policies.”
An Opportunity For Policy-Makers
Fox explained that the lack of access to banking services and capital, high barriers to entry into legal cannabis markets, and exorbitant tax rates at all levels of government is clearly hampering the ability of licensed cannabis businesses to compete with the unregulated market.
“The solutions to this situation are beyond obvious at this point, and they don’t involve law enforcement officers putting themselves at risk by dropping out of helicopters or conducting armed raids. It is incumbent on policymakers to pursue evidenced-based, market-oriented, and justice-focused policies to minimize unregulated cannabis activity,” Fox said in a press release.
“Federal agents and their local partners also reported seizing $103 million in assets in 2021 as part of the program — more than double the amount seized in 2020. As in past years, the overwhelming percentage of plant seizures (86%) and arrests (60%) nationwide took place in California. Law enforcement also reported confiscating large quantities of cultivated plants in Kentucky (317,621) and Oklahoma (158,124),” NORML reported.
As first reported by TheNation Thailand, a farming community near the northern Thai city of Lampang teamed up with scientists from Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Agriculture to see if chickens would benefit from excess cannabis leaves. The results were promising and could lead to farmers reducing their dependence on antibiotics when raising chickens.
Per the TheNation Thailand, the farmers, who just happened to be licensed to grow medical cannabis, put their chickens on this weed diet after their flock was ravaged by avian bronchitis despite all of the birds being injected with antibiotics. Would surplus cannabis be the fix they needed?
Researchers explained that chickens were fed cannabis in different forms, mixing it in with their feed or boiling the leaves and giving them the resulting cannabinoid water. All forms of cannabis that were fed to chickens had a low grade of THC, ensuring that they wouldn’t feel high or have an adverse reaction.
The results have yet to be published, but researchers have spotted some positive signs that suggest a way of raising chickens while decreasing their exposure to antibiotics. The chicken that ate cannabis experienced less avian bronchitis and had better meat quality. Unlike when using antibiotics, the meat and eggs that the chicken produced had no traces of cannabinoids in them, thus proving more healthy for human consumers.
It’s not clear why these benefits appeared. Researchers agree that more studies are needed and they theorize that perhaps cannabis boosted the chickens’ gut microbiome, improving their overall health.
The country remains stern in its recreational cannabis policies though, warning tourists and having fines of up to $800 and three months in prison if people are caught smoking or consuming cannabis with an intent that’s not medicinal.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Department of Justice resources are not put to the best use prosecuting marijuana-related offenses whether or not states have cannabis legalization laws on the books.
Could the DOJ make some waves with a cannabis reform announcement soon? According to Seeking Alpha and Marijuana Moment, Attorney General Merrick Garland clarified the department’s stance on prosecuting cannabis crimes in legal and non-legal states. He says the department’s resources are better spent on violent crimes and actions that harm society more than cannabis.
Seeking Alpha summarized Garland’s released interview:
Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Department of Justice resources are not put to the best use prosecuting marijuana-related offenses whether or not states have cannabis legalization laws on the books.
Garland, who appeared before a Senate subcommittee in April where marijuana issues were brought up, made the comments as part of written responses to Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). Marijuana Moment first reported Garland’s responses.
Garland noted that the department’s resources are better spent on “violent crimes and other crimes that cause societal harm and endanger our communities.”
The attorney general also indicated that DOJ may be tackling marijuana issues more generally soon. “The Department is examining a range of issues that relate to marijuana and its production, sale, and use, and we intend to address these issues in the days ahead.”
“We estimate that legalizing medical cannabis reduces annual auto insurance premiums by $22 per household, a reduction of 1.7 percent for the average household,” experts wrote in the study.
More than 40% of U.S. drivers who use both alcohol and marijuana admitted they drive under the influence of one or both of the substances, according to a recent study. However, nearly half of those surveyed said they did not get behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Still, some cannabis consumers claim that driving while high does not affect their ability to operate an automobile despite warnings from law enforcement that the number of fatal car crashes involving cannabis has more than doubled in the past several years. Although, it apparentlymakes them better drivers.
According to new driving simulator data published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention, those who use marijuana regularly drive better compared to occasional users.
“Those with a pattern of occasional use were significantly more likely to experience a lane departure during distraction periods after acute cannabis use relative to baseline, while those with daily use did not exhibit a similar increase,” said researchers from the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Iowa. “Participants with a pattern of daily use decreased their speed, which may be interpreted as a drug effect or as a compensatory strategy.”
As part of a driving simulated performance test, participants used their own cannabis, which contained between 15 and 30% THC.
Interestingly, the new research only confirmed findings from previous studies that proved that cannabis exposure is associated with either partial or even full tolerance in cognitive and psychomotor performance.
“This may indicate that those who use daily may perceive a potential adverse impact of acute cannabis use on driving performance and may attempt to compensate by slowing down to have more time to react to changes in the roadway,” researchers said, adding that more research on the subject is needed.
Photo by JasonDoiy/Getty Images
Medical Cannabis, Traffic Safety & Lower Insurance Rates
Meanwhile, a team of economists associated with Temple University and the Universities of Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky found that states with legalized medical cannabis enjoyed reduced insurance premiums as well as improved road transport environment.
“We estimate that legalizing medical cannabis reduces annual auto insurance premiums by $22 per household, a reduction of 1.7 percent for the average household,” experts wrote in the study. “Extending our results to other states, we find that medical cannabis legalization has reduced auto insurance premiums by $1.5 billion in all states that have currently legalized, with the potential to reduce premiums by an additional $900 million if the remaining states were to legalize.”
Sugary drinks impact your health, whether you consume them often or not.
Sugary drinks are one of the easiest ways of packing extra calories without realizing it. According to Healthy Food America, sugary drinks like sodas and juices are the country’s number one source of added sugars, packing thousands of empty calories that provide little energy and alter your body in unhealthy ways.
A new study shows that drinking even one sugary drink a day can impact the health of your liver, increasing the odds of cancer.
The study was conducted by researchers from a variety of institutions and was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nutrition, held on June 14 – 16. The research had access to data from over 90,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79, and followed up for 19 years, painting a thorough picture of their health.
The study wanted to spot patterns between sugary drinks and liver cancer. It found that women who consumed at least one of these drinks a day had 73% higher odds of developing liver cancer when compared to women who had three or fewer sugary drinks a month.
Researchers believe sugary drinks are a risk because of sugar’s effects, which affect insulin levels and drive weight gain. All of these factors affect liver health.
Longgang Zhao, the lead author of the study, said that the results were helpful since they showed that cutting back on these drinks is an effective preventative measure. “Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water, and non-sugar-sweetened coffee or tea could significantly lower liver cancer risk,” said Zhao in a press release.
It’s important to note that the study had limitations, like the fact that it was conducted solely on older women and that it was observational. While a link between sugary drinks and liver cancer was found, the research doesn’t prove that one causes the other. It just suggests that it increases the risk.
A group of 48 House Representatives sent a letter calling on the chairman and ranking members of a House appropriations subcommittee to address cannabis issues through the must-pass legislation as part of a spending bill expected to be introduced next week, reported Marijuana Moment.
The letter, shared with Marijuana Moment, includes three sections of language that the lawmakers hope to see in the base spending bill for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS).
The proposals would block “the Department of Justice from prosecuting those who comply with their state or tribal marijuana laws,” wrote the group which included Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Barbara Lee (D-CA).
The four reps had signed their names to an earlier letter, in 2021 in which they pointed out that state-level legalization laws were decided upon by the voters and therefore “the federal government should not interfere with these programs and the will of the voters of these states.”
Lawmakers Now Want Broader Protections
A rider preventing the DOJ from using federal funds to interfere in legal medical cannabis legalization has been renewed yearly since 2014, but lawmakers are now pushing for broader protections in this latest appropriations measure.
“None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used to enforce federal prohibitions involving the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes that are permitted by the laws of the state, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territory where the act was committed, or to prevent states, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territories from implementing their own laws that permit the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes.”
Rep. Blumenauer has said on numerous occasions that cannabis legalization is a priority for him. Blumenauer handily won May’s Democratic primary in Oregon with nearly 95% of the vote, which he’s done since 1996.
“States from coast to coast—across the political spectrum, red and blue have—have taken meaningful action to end prohibitory policies and allow the development of both adult use and medical marijuana programs,” Blumenauer said. “The federal government should not interfere with these programs and the will of the voters.”
Lockdown has greatly impacted our lives. In the case of children, it has affected their systems in unexpected and concerning ways.
The effects of the COVID lockdown have been experienced by people of all ages. While the mental health of adults and teens has been impacted, in the case of children, their immune systems have taken a hit.
According to new research, kids are being admitted into hospitals having up to three coinfections of viruses at the same time.
Per The Washington Post, the report was conducted by researchers from the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital in Connecticut, and it showed seven different viruses.
Children were admitted with two or three viruses with increased regularity. While COVID was amongst the diseases reported, viruses like the adenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza, and more also made appearances.
Researchers explain that these numbers aren’t normal, especially considering the season in which we’re in, when the weather is growing warmer and there aren’t as many seasonal illnesses. They argue that COVID lockdown measures might have had an influence on kids’ immune systems, with the at-home measures preventing them from building up their defenses against common illnesses.
“We’ve never seen a flu season in the U.S. extend into June,” Yale medical expert Dr. Scott Roberts told CNBC. “Now that people have unmasked, places are opening up, we’re seeing viruses behave in very odd ways that they weren’t before.”
Roberts shared that over the past two years we’ve experienced lower than average seasonal illnesses, with experts crediting this due to mask-wearing and social distancing measures. Now that masks are being less used across the country, we can expect strange behaviors from viruses and the reappearance of obscure conditions like tuberculosis and monkeypox.
Each person has their own reasons as to why the weed they are loyal to is “the best.” Perhaps this is why there are so many favorite strains on the market today.
We asked our readers in an informalonline poll what makes the weed the “best,” and we received all kinds of answers. We wondered if it was strength, flavor, or maybe something else that attracted cannabis enthusiasts to their favorite strain. Many respondents said “all the above,” while others listed reasons that we didn’t even think of, like “no seeds,” a slow burn, and even highest marks given to weed that is organically grown.
Flavor, taste and strength (or potency) were the most commonly mentioned reasons for declaring weed “the best,” as well as certain strains that made the person feel exactly the way they wanted to feel. But at the end of the day, answering the question “what makes the best weed?” is ultimately a bit subjective.
Taste, flavor and even potency can vary significantly from person to person in many cases. Still, there is some evidence and science that sheds light on why most consumers are seeking the things they are when on the hunt for the perfect bud.
Photo by Jose Luque / EyeEm/Getty Images
Flavor And Smell
The flavor and bouquet of your bud is often telling. Apart from the fact that very strong smelling marijuana is often fresh and well-grown, there might be further evidence of quality in the more subtle notes lingering in the air. A big part of what you’re smelling is the plants’ unique and specific terpenes and terpenoids.
The smell and flavor in itself can hold appeal, but when combined with the THC, it can become an altogether elevated phenomenon known as the entourage effect. It’s no wonder why many people rely on their nose and taste buds when discerning their favorite weed.
Potency
At the end of the day, people buy weed to get high. Therefore potency is going to be at the top of most lists. But if this were the case, highly concentrated products would have wiped out lower percentage THC flower by now. They have not. A big reason for this is that THC potency does not always mean you are guaranteed to get more high. According a recent study, which tested subjects exposed to highly concentrated THC and also those exposed to lower doses, “Despite differences in THC exposure, flower and concentrate users showed similar neurobehavioral patterns after acute cannabis.”
In other words, the study showed that the percentage of THC you consume does not equate to the level of “high” you feel (with the notable exception of edibles — those percentages mean just that). As an article inForbes put it, “Judging a cannabis strain on its THC content is not unlike judging a film based on the lead actor. The THC number isn’t going to be an indicator of the performance.”
Indica vs. Sativa
Some purchase weed for smell, some for potency, and others make their decision based on the species. Whether weed is the species of “indica” or “sativa” is a major factor in the way many people purchase weed. These two words (along with “hybrid”) are used constantly at recreational dispensaries. The reason for this is that sativa is classically more an invigorating head high, and indica is more of a mellow high. These are two very different experiences.
While many have their preference between the two, the more seasoned cannabis user will find that there is a lot more to how weed affects you besides its species. While indica may often feel mellowing, there are other components in all sorts of strains of weed that also provide a mellowing experience.
This is what makes each strain unique and marketable in its own way. In fact, according toMedical News Today, “Some experts suggest that manufacturers should abandon naming their products as sativa or indica. Using these names is misleading and far more complex than people once thought.”
Each person has their own reasons as to why the weed they are loyal to is “the best.” Perhaps this is why there are so many favorite strains on the market today, and seemingly just as many ways to consume them. While the decision to determine what the best weed is may become more difficult, the good news is it appears as though there will be more and more amazing strains to choose from. Sometimes hard decisions aren’t such a bad thing.
