Millions of people have been murdered as a result of the drug war that's been ongoing for decades worldwide. While there are many countries today that still maintain strict penalties for anyone who is caught growing, exchanging, or possessing etc, a variety of controlled substances, we have seen that there has been a growing acceptance at least for cannabis for either medicinal or recreational purposes.
Some suspect that Thailand might be the first country in Asia to make the move and it might come as early as next week.
According to the public health committee chair for the nation's national legislative assembly, they are currently mulling over a draft bill that would make way for legalization of medicinal cannabis in the region.
It's expected that this bill could be signed into law within just a few days.
Could Thailand legalize cannabis before the United States makes the federal move to do so? Currently, if you are caught with cannabis in Thailand it's listed as a crime that is punishable up to 5 years in prison (if you are caught possessing, cultivating or transporting up to 10kg). For those who might have more than 10k, they could see up to 15 years behind bars and you could receive a fine.
In some countries where cannabis is still illegal today, you could even face the death penalty for your victimless “crime” and these are places such as Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Drug use is a personal choice that shouldn't be punishable by death, neither should growing or selling etc to interested parties who are willingly looking to trade in a peaceful manner. It is those, aggressing in-between the exchange, who are committing human rights violations and it would tremendously benefit the cause of liberty if the drug war were to finally come to an end and drugs were to be further decriminalized so that people weren't being jailed and murdered over victimless crimes.
According to one VP of marketing for a cannabis corporation in Thailand, they are able to produce cannabis in the region for a fraction of the price that it costs to grow in the West and he has urged those interested in the industry to start looking toward Thailand as the next big growth area for the cannabis industry.