As Thailand plans to recriminalise cannabis and reverse controversial 2022 legalisation, Thai racer and actor Saranyoo Prachakit announced online that he was “breaking up” with cannabis because it was altering his brain. His experience appears to have struck a chord with millions of Thais.
“I decided to stop using weed and any products because I can’t understand small words or can’t focus seriously,” the 40-year-old told The Telegraph. “[I’m] not motivated [to do] anything. I’m too slow, like a sloth.”
The sudden decision to completely decriminalise the drug in June 2022 defied Thailand’s reputation as hard on drugs and was controversial from the off. But in the two years since, accusations that it was a political calculation which ignored public health have grown, with even progressive political parties viewing the experience as a failure.
There have been reports of more young people dropping out of schools, growing rates of addiction to harder substances, and farmers struggling to make a living from growing the crop due to oversupply.
