Strain Heritage Series: Strains of Thailand

Cannabis culture is genuinely universal. No matter what corner of the globe you're from, the language you speak, or the culture you grew up in, cannabis was likely a present part of it. And while it's evident that cannabis culture is thriving in North America and vast portions of Western Europe, other places aren't exactly the first to come to mind when imagining a thriving cannabis culture.

Asia, for example, has long been seen as a dead spot for any and all cannabis culture. Aside from industrial hemp, world superpowers like China and Japan have taken hard-line stances against cannabis use or anything related to THC. So it might be easy to discount all of Asia and lump them together as lacking a diverse and exciting cannabis culture of their own. While that may have once been the case, things have been changing rapidly in recent years.

Aside from the rise of medical cannabis products and programs being established in Asia, the legal state of recreational cannabis is starting to soften as well! Take Thailand, for example. Not only are they blazing the trail when it comes to legal cannabis in Asia, becoming the very first Asian nation to legalize cannabis use earlier this year. That's right, reader! So instead of punching something like "is weed legal in Thailand," let us answer those questions for you!

While Bangkok is far from becoming the next bastion of legal cannabis use, the Land of Smiles has made significant strides in the last few years. They have decriminalized industrial hemp, legalized the production, import, export, possession, and use of medical cannabis, descheduled both cannabis and hemp extracts, and even permitted folks to homegrow up to six plants of their own!

But contrary to popular belief, Thailand has a long and storied history with cannabis. And thankfully, we here at Where's Weed are here to highlight that as part of our ongoing Strain Heritage Series! We'll touch on the past and present of all things related to Thailand's weed laws, then deep dive into some of the best and brightest Thailand weed that nation has to offer!

So without too much further ado, let's get right into our deep dive into anything and everything legal weed in Thailand.

The History of Cannabis in Thailand

Before we dig too deeply into some of the best Thai sativa strains you can get your hands on, we first wanted to give a little more information about Thailand's past with cannabis. After all, not everyone out there is an expert or cannabis enthusiast that knows the subtle differences between the purple Thai strain and the orange Thai strain, for example.

Originally thought to have been introduced to the nation of Thailand by India, cannabis has been a part of the culture of Thailand for hundreds of years now. Whether it was being used as a spice on traditional kway teeow rua noodle soups, to treat a wide variety of health conditions by massage therapists, or even as a healing tool for traditional Muay Thai fighters, the goal was healing. Along with recreational and medical use, the cannabis plant has long been used for industrial purposes in Thailand as well! Hemp fiber was and still is, frequently used to create textiles, clothing, and rope.

Due to that love of and need for cannabis and Thailand's warm, wet, and hospitable growing environment, it's no wonder that Thailand developed some lovely landrace strains as a result. Those strains were a well-kept secret for some time, only making it over to the U.S. in the late 60s via soldiers on leave from the Vietnam War. From there, the West got a taste of some of the best cannabis Thailand offers, strains that we'll highlight in further detail below!

Top Landrace Cannabis Strains from Thailand

Thai landrace strains are unique and vibrant thanks to a variety of factors. For example, the hot, wet, close to the tropical climate in Southeast Asia is the perfect growing condition for sativas. That's why Thailand is known for its top-notch landrace sativa strains. After all, when in Rome, you'll do as the Romans do, right?

Other characteristics of Thai landrace strains are longer flowering times and often hyper-potent contemporary strains with as much as 30 percent THC. For those who aren't familiar, that's some potent cannabis!

So with all of these factors in mind, let's take a close look at some of Thailand's best and brightest exports!

Hang Kra Rog Phu Phan ST1

Often compared to a squirrel's tail, thanks to its large, bushy flowers, this strain is one with some serious character. Its name hails back to that unique aesthetic, directly translating to Hang Kra Rok in Thai.

This strain is more than just a fun aesthetic and some bushy leaves. It has an interesting and well-balanced cannabinoid, terpene, and flavor profile. Often said to have equal parts THC and CBD, it smells like sweet, fragrant mangos and doesn't have that definitive skunky, cannabis-like odor.

No matter how you slice it, this strain has a lot to offer to those who can successfully get their hands on it here in the West!

Hang Suea Sakon Nakhon TT1

Unlike the previous entry on this list, this strain is known for its pungent odors and unique flavor profile. This strain's usually long flowers are often said to smell like rubber with hints of orange peels and a skunky cannabis odor.

Another factor to keep in mind with this unique strain is its cannabinoid profile. Hang Suea Sakon Nakhon TT1 strain has more THC than CBD, making this a great option for those more experienced stoners out there! If you're on the hunt for a Thai landrace strain that packs a serious cannabinoid-powered punch, this one is for you!

If you've built up a bit of tolerance and can manage to get your hands on it, then this top-notch strain is a great choice!

Tanaosri Kan Khaw WA1

Well-known and easy to identify, thanks to its tightly clustered cannabis flowers, fragrant scents of orange peels and lemongrass, and well-balanced cannabinoid profile, this strain has got a little bit of something for everyone.

While this strain is considered high in THC, it's best to consider it the middle ground between the previous two entries on our list. It's a little less pungent, less powerful in cannabinoids, and might be a bit easier to get your hands on at your local dispensary!

Tanaosri Kan Daeng RD1

Last but not least on our list, we have Tanaosri Kan Daeng RD1. This strain is incredibly similar to the previous entry on our list, except with an attractive and aesthetically pleasing red color on the branches, stems, and petioles.

Known for its sweet, pleasant aroma and high CBD content, this strain is the least psychoactive on this list. While there is still THC, it's overwhelmed by all that CBD. So for folks looking for a more balanced, less psychoactive cannabis experience, look no further than this lovely Thai landrace strain!