Wetin make Thailand move from death penalty for drugs, to legalize marijuana

Thailand legalize di planting and use of cannabis dis month wey be very major shift from dia drug policy wey recommend plenti years for prison and even death penalty for drug offences.

BBC tori pesin Jonathan Head tok wetin cause di change.

21 years ago, dem invite am to feem di execution of five prisoners, dem convict four as drug dealers by firing squad.

Na part of di "war on drugs" wey di den-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra start and wey lead to di killing of hundreds of drug suspects.

Thaksin campaign bin dey very popular on top say Thais bin dey fear di kain effects drugs like meth go get for dia community, so dem no even mind di plenti human rights violation wey e take to enforce am.

Oda kontris for di region face di same direction on drugs especially for Philippine wen President Rodrigo Duterte enta power for 2016. Singapore and Malaysia get death penalty for ova ten years now.

In fact, na tay-tay dem don dey warn tourists wey dey enta Southeast Asia say even small amounts of marijuana go put dem for serious gbege.

Wit all dis one, e dey hard to imagine wetin dey happun for inside Thailand now.

Cafes don dey sell different kain cannabis products openly, some dey even advertise container wey dey filled wit marijuana flowers.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wey carry di new law for im back, dey hope say di mata go be new source of income.

Di new law don give Thailand some of di easiest laws on marijuana for di world.

Right now, pipo fit grow and consume di plant as dem like, di comma come dey wit how you fit sell am.

Tom Kruesopon wey be businessman wey ginger goment to change dia stance on weed say, "one tin dey clear, you no fit go jail for Thailand sake of say you use cannabis. Wetin fit carry you go jail na smoking for public, say you cause public drama or if you sell cannabis product wey no get Food and Drug Administration approval."

Rattapon Sanrak wey dey care for her mama wit cancer and no fit convince am to use cannabis product for her pain say, "na like dream for us. We no tink say we go reach dis far for Thailand."

How politics and market cause dis about turn for drug laws

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul bin use di legalisation of marijuana as im party main policy during di 2019 election.

Di party bin get pipo wey dey loyal for di rural and poor northeast and di proposal bin sweet di belle of farmers wey dey struggle as dem dey farm rice and sugar and dey find new cash crop.

So wen e announce im new law earlier dis month, e fit tell di crowd say im deliver wetin e promise.

Charnvirakul also get faith for di medical benefits of cannabis and dey hope say e go help poorer Thais to grow dia treatment instead of to buy expensive drugs.

Na also business.

Kruesopon estimate say marijuana go make $10 billion in di first three years, and even more money fit come from cannabis tourism, wey be wen pipo enta di kontri for therapy and treatment to use marijuana products.

But one oda reason dey for di new marijuana regime.

You see, di kontri get some of di most overcrowded prisons for di world and most of dem dey dia for drug offences - many be pikin.

Dis don cause international yabbis on how di prisoners dey live even as di goment need cough out money to pay for dia upkeep.

For dis reasons, former military Minister of Justice, General Paiboon Kumchaya, announce for 2016 say di war on drugs don fail and call for less strong methods to take deal wit di wahala.

Because of dis law change, e pass 4,000 pipo wey dey accused of cannabis-related crimes wey go comot jail.

Thai goment still dey try match leg for dis weed market

Even though di plant don dey evriwia from ice cream, to food and drink, to chicken meat wey dem feed di chicken cannabis, as di new law make almost evritin about cannabis legal, di goment dey still dey try draw regulations on di use.

Officially, dia position na say di law dey only allow cannabis for medical purposes but e no clear on di difference from recreational use.

Kruesopon say e no get wahala to add more regulations. E dey support make dem sell marijuana for only authorised vendors wit prescription to pipo ova 18 years old.

"Wetin dem dey use for cigarettes na wetin dem dey use for cannabis. You no need tink am too much", na wetin e tok.

Na very bold step from di Thai goment and di rest of di region dey watch to see weda e go work.