Tao, a Thai chef, opened Cannabis Cafe in 2021. At that time, before marijuana was decriminalized for recreational use, there were many rules. He has a fine dining background: previously, he worked as an executive chef at the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai and competed in Thailand's version of "Iron Chef."
"Before this, we could only use the leaves, stem, and the root. Everyone said it's bullshit," he said, adding that before marijuana was legalized, restaurants only used the leaves as a garnish or decoration.
Tao, who specializes in northern Thai cuisine, started selling weed and infusing marijuana into his food to ride on the growing wave of marijuana tourism in Chiang Mai. As a fine dining chef, Tao thought of ways to use tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, — the main psychoactive element in marijuana — and CBD in his food. When Tao first cooked with THC, he was surprised at how much it enhanced the food.
"I feel like, okay, the trend is coming. Cannabis is becoming popular," he said, explaining that the legalization of marijuana made a major difference to how it's sold and consumed.
"Eating the leaf — there's no effect. When I cooked with THC, I was wowed," he continued.
At the time, there were limitations at how much THC can be used in food and drinks — 0.2% and 0.5% respectively, Tao said. According to a 2023 article by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, extracts containing over 0.2% THC requires permission from Thai authorities before being used.
At first, this was a challenging task.
"If the customers become very high, we stop selling it," Tao said, adding that he aims for consistency when it comes to the quality and safety of his food.
"We use very little — just a touch of cannabis," he added.