Naive tourists travelling to Bali from Thailand are finding themselves in big trouble after a rule change led them down a dangerous path.
In just two months 15 foreign travellers have been arrested in Bali over marijuana they bought legally in Thailand, officials say.
In an area of the world where drug laws are notoriously harsh, cannabis cafes and weed dispensaries have become common in Thailand since the country’s surprise move to remove marijuana from its banned narcotics list in June last year.
From tourists eating “weed pizzas” on the beach, to a hotel opening the first “herbal dispensary” in South East Asia where guests can sample “cannabis-infused medicine”, and the country’s inaugural Cannabis Cup featuring a competition to crown the fastest joint roller – the drug is seemingly everywhere.
But naive tourists enjoying the freedom and then moving onto a nearby holiday hotspot are finding themselves in huge trouble.
A Bali customs official told Jakarta-based ABC journalist Anne Barker that marijuana making its way into Bali from Thailand was predominantly dried leaves and flowers in tourists’ bags.
They were also being caught with other derivatives like liquid for vaping.
“We remind foreigners entering Indonesia to be aware of the laws, even if it’s for medical use, marijuana won’t be tolerated,” the official said.
Of the 15 foreigners arrested in the last two months, ABC Radio was told most were from Russia, Britain, the US, China and Brazil.
It is understood tourists have been arriving with the drug in their bags after forgetting it was there or thinking it was OK because they purchased it legally.
While Thailand has relaxed its marijuana laws, there are still restrictions.
For example, food products can only contain 0.2 per cent concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive compound that produces the drug’s “high”.
And all marijuana sales are technically supposed to be for medical use rather than recreational, but there is no requirement for buyers to provide evidence like a doctor’s note.
The same month Thailand made marijuana widely accessible, a Brazilian man was arrested at Bali Airport with 9.1 grams of marijuana he bought in Thailand.
The 25-year-old told authorities he did not to know that marijuana was forbidden in Indonesia.
Famously, Australia’s Schapelle Corby was sentenced to 20 years jail and fined $13,875 for smuggling 4.2kg of marijuana into Bali in a boogie board bag in 2004.
She was released from prison in 2014 after nine years but had to stay in Bali to serve out her parole until 2017.
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