Drug laws in Southeast Asia are notoriously strict. In Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, for example, possessing or consuming marijuana carries hefty fines or jail time. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has waged a bloody war on drugs that rights groups say has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Filipinos.

While its neighbors continue to enforce more conservative policies, Thailand has moved forward in legalizing medical marijuana—an industry in which the country’s military government sees huge economic potential.