Yet experts say that these approaches have not been able to stop or slow the region’s drug supply, with some markets even flourishing. “There’s been so much money, so much resources, and time that have been sunk into these responses that are so heavily brutally punitive, and they have caused so much harm to people and to communities, when they could have been investing all that into something that is proven by evidence to work instead,” Lai says.
Given this history, Thailand’s decision to decriminalize marijuana will intensify debates on the region’s drug policy, and resistance from some narcotics hardliners in ASEAN. Singapore has long defended the “drug-free ASEAN” dream—first announced in 1998 as—and has actively lobbied the U.N. against legalizing cannabis in various parts of the globe.
Yet marijuana is only one part of Southeast Asia’s drug policy. Most of Thailand’s inmates on drug-related charges aresaid a record-breaking 171.5 tons of methamphetamine—including over a billion in pill form—were seized in East and Southeast Asia last year. This is seven times more than seizures made 10 years ago, with around three-quarters of the seizures in the five Southeast Asian countries traversed by the Mekong River: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
With this, Jelsma of the TNI believes a common Southeast Asian approach to regulating marijuana and other narcotics is unlikely to happen. But he believes that in a region “so plagued by excessively repressive drug policies, the positive influence of Thailand’s recent policy changes on the regional debate is most welcome.”
I thought that was Jim Carrey reprising his Joker role when I first scrolled to this.
Saves billions on spending taxpayers money. Snuffs out criminal enterprise. Brings in massive tourist windfall😁😁😁
When can WE sign a surrender Document in the War of Drugs? Kicked America's ASS
The Reggae bars must be loving this
Amazing picture
I am so worried about the effects on their education system according to the Bronfenbenner model. UnitedNations UNICEFThailand Unicef
This means very unintelligent human beings and mental ill individuals struggling with psychosis, their crime rate and mental illness levels - will shoot high skie rocking levels… Good luck Thailand, your government and the International community - Cause&Effect!!!
jails gonna be letting people go or no?
I’ve been thinking about settling in chang Mai 🧐
Means that more Southeast Asians will migrate to Thailand....
legalized commercialized BigPharma ... v ... illegal free Nature?