Big Take Asia Podcast

Thailand’s Cannabis Experiment Faces Moment of Truth at Polls

As a national election looms, the country's chaotic marijuana industry is at a crossroads

A cannabis store on Silom Road in Bangkok.Photographer: picture alliance/picture alliance

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Four years after Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, its booming market is at a crossroads. Initial high hopes for a tourism surge and a billion-dollar industry have been replaced by an oversupply of shops and a fierce public backlash.