adding that the new regulation would have no impact on tourism
Uhu, uhu sure. So either he's lying, or tourists will be allowed to buy weed while locals cannot.
I think they're seriously shooting themselves in the foot here. As the only (?) country in Asia where it is legal they could have a huge tourism boom. Maybe not really the type of tourists they want, but after covid decimating the sector they need all the help they can.
Shittons of Russians fled to Thailand and Indonesia - objectors to the war, those merely dodging conscription, and the vacationing russian elite looking for sun. Both countries have had so many visitors that russian only businesses popped up trying to cater to them, established by russian expats. Neither country liked this lol.
RE: MJ - yeah this is just dumb, considering it's LONG history there and honestly, pushing it off the legal market just means more people experimenting with stuff that's almost always more harmful.