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The following article was written and submitted by a friend of HighThailand who enjoyed his time at our last UpperCut event. We encourage all our friends and readers to submit their thoughts, dreams and experiences for publication.
I was already acquainted with many of the UpperCut participants, and eagerly anticipated the party at Amélie to meet them again. Cannabis events never start on time, so arriving after 6 pm seems reasonable. At the entrance of the venue, I exchange greetings with the HighThailand filming crew led by Professor Mendel. Inside, it’s packed with people and many familiar faces. I exchange a few words with Underground Grower; he brought along some dense-diesel Gas Basket.
Soon enough, we’re smoking a massive joint with a russian-speaking canna-designer from Samui. Sitting with us at the table is a very young and very stoned Thai guy. After a couple of hits of sativa, he suddenly perks up and starts treating us to homemade cannabis tinctures, while he was talking about Omakase budtending courses, that he started. Next to us, the owner of Grashaus on Soi 11 Sukhumvit complains that buyers are scared off by the new cultivar names, so he had to rename Scotty2Hotty – a fresh strain from Exotic Genetics that nobody wanted to buy. But under the name Truffle Biscotti, it instantly became a bestseller.
Meanwhile, the official part begins, guests move to the lounge on the second floor, which suddenly turns out to be quite crowded. David Paleschuk sits on a beanbag in the corner of the room, looking a bit ablush. He’s around 60, wearing black-and-white Nike dunks, and a funny black t-shirt with a stoned watermelon. After a short introduction, he starts talking about trust-marketing in the cannabis business. A muscular, tattooed blond guy sitting on the adjacent beanbag lights up an enormous joint. The whole scene becomes more and more surreal. I light up too, trying to jot down the key points on my phone – the lecture turns out to be truly interesting and informative. Later, I ask David if smoking marijuana is perceived as normal in American corporate culture. He tells me how he wasn’t hired by MasterCard (he worked for them for 7 years, left, and then they called him back for a higher position) just because he failed a marijuana test. Whereas at Microsoft, for example, they periodically test all employees for drugs, except for developers.
Norms are changing before our eyes. Starting from January 1st of 2024 in California, a law has come into effect, which prevents firing or punishing an employee for using marijuana in their free time and outside the office (though this doesn’t apply to all professions).
We continue discussing with David the nuances of regulation and the authorities’ response to various societal demands. He shares that in many states, special cannabis lounges are opening in response to residents’ dissatisfaction with the smell of weed on the streets.
Canis Major, whom I sincerely consider the country’s best grower, is joining us. He brings along the fantastic Strawberry Zkillato from Doja Exclusive and several unmarked jars of samples, which we immediately begin tasting. Canis loves expensive smoking accessories— Dynavap vapes, glassware from AndyRoth. We discuss grinders, agreeing that nothing beats the Brilliant Cut so far. In April, Canis’s farm will harvest its 20th crop, accumulating over 30 phenohunted strains in the portfolio … and he’s seriously considering is opening his own store. Can’t wait!
I headed downstairs to the counter and meet Tops, the manager of Never Not High. His shop is just few minutes walking from Amélie, and he specifically came to see the flowers from UpperCut participants. We settle on Wild Thailand — a vibrant sativa from Green Space with an amazing old-school scent of pine and lemon. We’re joined at the table by a lively group, some locals, some farangs. I ask if they’re growers? “No, we’re stoners!” the guys laugh and pass me a bong: “Bangkok is the best place on Earth!”
The event is winding down. I hug Alex and Rada, the owners of Amélie. As a farewell gift, they handle me a branded t-shirt with the “Prettiest In Town” slogan. Couldn’t have said it better—it was pretty much a blast of a party!
