From watermelon to weed: Thai farmers regret switching to cannabis as prices fall

Dr Banchob Promsa, leader of the Marijuana Community Enterprise Network in Nakhon Phanom, said that cannabis farmers have yet to turn a profit from growing the crop. ST PHOTO: TAN TAM MEI

NAKHON PHANOM, Apr 30 (The Straits Times/ANN): When Thailand legalised cannabis for medical use in June 2022, thousands rushed to stake their claim, including small-time farmer Tukta Sinnin.

The 43-year-old pumped in nearly 500,000 baht (S$19,500) to grow more than 400 cannabis plants on her land in Nakhon Phanom, a north-east province by the Mekong River.