Cannabis Is Winning the Science War (Except in Thailand)
thailandTHC Issue #108
Sawadee Everyone,
The month cannabis science took a victory lap, and cannabis headlines reminded us the world still hasn’t caught up.
If November had a theme, it was this:
Cannabis is doing the exact opposite of what 50 years of propaganda promised.
While politicians still dust off their “think of the children” speeches, researchers spent the month churning out data showing cannabis:
• Reduces alcohol intake
• Improves mood and stress levels
• Has multiple, distinct aroma profiles far beyond “weed smells like weed”
• May not actually be as strong as the label claims (oops)
• Works as a harm-reduction substitute
And in Thailand?
We saw the usual cocktail of tourist arrests, moral panic, and one woman face-planting on Bangla Road after wolfing down edibles.
So… progress is uneven.
Let’s break the month down.
Cannabis vs Alcohol: A Blowout Month for Weed Science
If November had a scoreboard:
Cannabis: 5
Alcohol: Crying in the parking lot
Study: Cannabis use linked to reduced alcohol intake
A foundational harm-reduction study: regular cannabis users showed notable drops in drinking, often replacing nightly drinks with THC. Less booze = fewer fights, fewer health issues, fewer “Who drove the scooter?” mornings.
Study: Drinking cannabis beverages reduces alcohol use AND boosts mood
Cannabis beverages didn’t just cut drinking, users reported better mood, sleep, and stress.
California Sober actually works, says real scientists
Researchers concluded that replacing booze with cannabis does exactly what the trend claims:
• Less alcohol
• Fewer hangovers
• Fewer destructive behaviors
• No increase in adverse outcomes
Proximity matters: Living near dispensaries = more cannabis, less alcohol
The closer you live to legal cannabis shops, the more you shift consumption away from alcohol.
This holds for both recreational and medical users.
The Science of Smell and Strength: Weed Labeling Takes a Hit
Your weed might not be as strong as the label says
Studies found THC inflation everywhere. Shocker: cannabis companies sometimes exaggerate.
The new wave of testing shows many products overstate potency by 20–40%. I can only imagine how fabricated the THC numbers are in Thailand.
Four distinct cannabis aroma profiles discovered
Researchers mapped molecular-level aroma clusters — meaning the nose knows more biology than most governments give it credit for.
This is huge for:
• Consumer education
• Retail categorization
• Marketing (“Fruity Diesel” is now a scientifically defensible phrase)
Psychedelics Enter the Chat
Johns Hopkins launches major psychedelic & consciousness online course
Psychedelics are the next cannabis.
The biggest academic name in the space dropped a brand-new course, guaranteed to push psychedelics into mainstream medical discussion faster than lawmakers can Google “psilocybin.”
Crime, Tourism & Chaos: Thailand Headlines Remain Peak Thailand
Science may be evolving fast, but Thai cannabis headlines?
Still… Thai cannabis headlines.
Six British tourists arrested in Pattaya for “cannabis dealing”
Turns out selling weed is still a crime (who knew?).
Tourists continue treating Thailand like the Wild West, only to remember the sheriff actually exists.
Foreign woman collapses on Bangla Road after consuming a cannabis edible
Thailand’s most Phuket story:
Tourist eats too much edible → collapses → becomes content.
Moral panic ensues in a town where you can go on Instagram and catch up on all the drunken brawls that took place the night before.
Navy corporal caught smuggling 10.2 kg of Thai marijuana into Korea
Asia takes smuggling seriously. Why is this lesson so hard for people to accept?
Irish man jailed for transporting €500,000 worth of cannabis from Thailand
Half a million euro of Thai weed shipped toward Ireland.
The kind of “tourism export” Thailand didn’t have in mind.
Pregnant British teen smuggling case gets dramatic turn
Thailand courts continue delivering plot twists.
This one reads like the script for a Netflix docuseries that already has six episodes in production.
Industry & Business: Cookies in Trouble, THC Drinks Soar
Cookies faces potential insolvency after major judgment
The brand that turned weed into streetwear culture may be on the ropes financially.
The story is part lawsuits, part drama, part “this is what happens when you run a cannabis empire like a sneaker drop.”
Cannabis consumers are more likely to shop at Target — and buy THC beverages
Not exactly Thailand related but it does seem logical that cannabis trends in other countries could also apply in Thailand. I would guess the profile of the average cannabis user in Thailand fits a similar demographic.
Data shows cannabis buyers:
• Spend more on wellness products
• Buy fewer alcoholic drinks
• Love THC beverages
• Shop at Target (but honestly, why?)
This is exactly the consumer profile big companies drool over.
Harm Reduction & Public Health: Not All Headlines Are Created Equal
Using tobacco + cannabis harms the “bliss molecule”
This one is important: researchers found that combining tobacco with cannabis is worse than cannabis alone, especially for the endocannabinoid system.
THE TAKEAWAY: We’re Living Through Peak Cognitive Dissonance
On one side:
Science is pumping out study after study showing cannabis reduces alcohol use, improves health outcomes, and is far safer than legacy propaganda ever claimed.
On the other side:
Governments, moral panickers, and confused tourists are still operating under 1990s logic.
But the direction is unmistakable:
Cannabis is moving into the “public health tool” category while alcohol slowly slides toward “legacy vice we quietly regret.”
This month didn’t just tell the story — it showed the trajectory.