Thailand: Fast-food chain claims trendy Pizza with cannabis toppings won't get people high

Crazy Happy Pizza, which includes a topping of cannabis leaf is being sold in Thailand by one of its major fast-food businesses, named The Pizza Company. The said Pizza has a combination of toppings inspired by Thailand's famed Tom Yum Gai soup, as well as a deep-fried cannabis leaf on top. The cheese crust contains cannabis, so does the dipping sauce, which comprises of chopped cannabis. A 9-inch pie of this pizza will cost 499 baht, which is about $15. Despite the pizza having cannabis, people can't get high eating it, claims manufactuers.

In an interview with AP earlier this week, Panusak Suensatboon, general manager of The Pizza Company, asserted that people cannot get high by eating the Pizza and that it is just a marketing stunt. He further added that people can taste the marijuana, and won't get high however if they consume enough, they may fall asleep.

It cannot be advertised or sold to children under the age of twelve

Crazy Happy Pizza is being offered in all of The Pizza Company's Thai locations, however, sales have been low so far. This is due to a number of drawbacks, including the fact that it cannot be advertised or sold to children below the age of twelve.

Panusak stated that he doesn't believe that the market for cannabis products is yet ready which they have known from the start. He further stated that all they wanted to do was to be the first to market with something new and different. He also stated that they try to get some new ingredients, anything that is trendy and use it and they want people to talk about it.

The dean of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn Business School, Associate Professor Wilbert Puriwat, is of the opinion that using cannabis for marketing can be helpful in the short term, however, businesses will have to find ways to make it work in the long run. While speaking to AP, he stated that people who try it, in general, do not anticipate getting high. According to him, all they want to do is to take images to publish on social media. He further added that people should come to the restaurant for the cuisine and service, not for the marijuana.

Thailand's drug laws

Even though Thailand's drug laws have been liberalised in recent years, recreational marijuana remains unlawful and can result in a fine and time in prison. Individuals are allowed to grow a modest number of plants for their personal usage, and cannabis is regulated for therapeutic purposes.

(Inputs from AP)

Image: AP