Cannabis Festival to Celebrate Legalization in Thailand

In early June, Thailand will officially remove cannabis from its list of narcotics, and to mark this milestone, the local cannabis community is organizing another cannabis festival close to the date. Russian tourists will also be able to attend the event.

This summer, on June 11 and 12, Highland, a Thai movement advocating for cannabis, will host its annual cannabis festival. Previously, the movement held the festival seven times in a “semi-underground” format, but this year promises to be more vibrant, as the government published the order to remove cannabis from the narcotics list back in February.

The order will take full effect on June 9, exactly 120 days after its publication.

“Highland invites you to celebrate Independence Day, which will liberalize cannabis, a plant that has been imprisoned as a narcotic for decades,” the movement wrote on its Facebook page. “From the efforts and struggles of people fighting for rights and freedoms, to the day we’ve all been waiting for: the day cannabis will no longer be considered an illegal drug.”

The two-day festival will take place on Had Sai Kao beach, located about two hours from downtown Bangkok, Thailand’s capital. The event will feature games, sports, music, panel discussions, workshops, and much more.

Highland has already started pre-selling tickets. A one-day ticket costs 600 Thai baht, and a two-day ticket costs 1,000 baht (approximately 1,400 and 2,350 rubles, respectively). Organizers have warned that after May 1, prices will increase by 50%.

It is still unclear whether cannabis will be available for purchase at the festival, as organizers are waiting for the presentation of a bill that will regulate the use of the plant.

Previously, Thailand’s Minister of Health stated that the bill would allow people to freely use cannabis and grow it at home. While Thais will not need to obtain a permit, they will be required to inform authorities about the number of plants they have. The bill has not yet been submitted to Parliament for consideration, as its details are still being discussed, according to the minister. No deadlines have been announced.

According to the portal satang.ru as of April 11, Thailand is open to Russian tourists, but due to international sanctions, travel is only possible with layovers – through Istanbul, Doha, or Abu Dhabi. In early June, the Thai government also promises to lift all entry restrictions that were put in place during the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.