Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Cannabis law reform

David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (09:52): After that I am feeling frivolous. It is lovely to be back after what no doubt has been a quiet and uneventful festive season recess for everyone here in the chamber. I was fortunate enough to get to Thailand for three weeks and could not resist the urge to undertake a little concurrent cannabis professional development. My wife and I have been to Thailand half a dozen times over the last 40 years, but this was our first visit since Thailanders both legalised cannabis and established a commercial market. We have always partaken of the local cannabis product in the past, but it was just a little bit nervousness-inducing, given the potential to fall foul of the local Thai authorities – a bit of a buzzkill, so to speak.

This time we were able to enjoy both local and imported product in a range of great retail settings, from a boutique beer and cannabis store with a nice upstairs smokers lounge to a coffee lounge near the beach with the best cannabis affogatos I have ever had. It was terrific. But most of the dispensaries were basically a lot like our own tobacco stores, albeit without the extensive armour plating to stop ram raids and firebombings.

Thailand is also a salient lesson in how an appropriate regulatory framework recognising local commercial, public health and licensing arrangements is so important. Thailand has gone from a totally laissez-faire cannabis market to now having a regulatory framework, licensed premises – (Time expired)