The rise and reset of Thailand’s cannabis economy

On a busy stretch of Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road, one of the first dispensaries to open after Thailand's landmark 2022 decriminalisation is still trading, but only just. The neon cannabis leaf sign still glows in the window. Inside: glass jars lined up behind the counter, an earthy-sweet smell, reggae colours on the walls. 

The foot traffic that once made this strip hum has thinned to a trickle. Bell, a budtender who has worked the floor since the early days, reflects on the past four years in careful, broken English. "People assumed this would be easy money. But once the market got crowded, reality hit."