A Thai stick is a form of cannabis from Thailand that was popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It consisted of premium buds of seedless marijuana which were skewered on stems. Several rows of fiber found in the stalk of the marijuana plant were then used to tie the marijuana to the stem to keep it in place.[1] Thai stick bud may also be tied around bamboo sticks with a piece of string known as a “rasta hair.”[2]
The Thai stick formulation exhibited considerably higher potency in comparison with other cannabis available in the United States at the time. It was rumored that this added potency was due to the Thai sticks being dipped in opium. One reason given for its decline was the advent of more potent marijuana in the late 1970s displaced the use of Thai, however, the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and the reduction of military troop transports (as was the primary means of export) between Thailand, particularly Bangkok, and the United States, was likely the most influential reason for its eventual disappearance.
In modern terminology, Thai stick often refers to marijuana tied to stem as documented above and then dipped into a hashish oil, a potent cannabis derivative which saturates the buds and lends to a stronger smoke. Some California cannabis clubs sell this product. Originally, this was a frequent practice of the 1970s with the actual Thai stick. There are still some surviving recipes from Cambodia where high quality marijuana and hash oil are used.
Thai stick was mentioned in the film The Big Lebowski, when The Dude (Jeff Bridges) recalled his college years mostly as "occupying various administration buildings, smoking a lot of thai sticks, breaking into the ROTC, and bowling".
In the movie WarGames, one of the nuclear silo operators states "This grass made Thai sticks taste like oregano".
In Shameless an Autistic student offered Micky Maguire to try Thai stick
In Ang Lee's The Ice Storm, Paul Hood (Tobey Maguire) and his roommate, Francis (David Krumholtz), smoke Thai stick from a bong in their dorm room. "Paul: I hope you've changed the water in that bong from last time. Francis: The water, as you call it, is a special mixture of amaretto and brandy blended for just the exact chemical interaction with the last of our precious Thai stick."
In the movie Eating Raoul, Raoul uses Thai stick to seduce a married accomplice.
In an episode of Mission Hill, a drug dealer offers to sell Kevin French Thai sticks, to which he replies, "no thanks, spicy food doesn't always agree with me."
In Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, Cheech bribes Chong to answer the phone so he can avoid speaking to his boss by promising him his last Thai stick, also in Up in Smoke Cheech brags to Chong about how much of a hardcore smoker he is by mentioning Thai sticks. Cheech mispronounces it as "tied stick", and when asked to explain says, "You know, that stuff that's tied to a stick."
In the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs, "Mr. Pink" (Steve Buscemi) ruminates about his current and past misfortunes stemming from his not following his instincts, including getting fake Thai stick.
In Main Source's song "Live at the Barbeque", Fetal in the 2nd verse states "Smoke some Thai weed, flow at a high speed"
In Tequila Sunrise, Carlos (Raul Julia) tells Mac (Mel Gibson), "Cocaine is no damn good for anybody. The Future— the future is grass. Grass, buddy! I have 60 tons of Thai stick coming in." This quote is also used as a sample in (Dreadzone)'s song "Ska Con Queso".
In the Comedy Central series Strangers With Candy, Jerri tells her cremated mother (in an urn), "Hey, Mom! It’s me, Jerri. It’s not so bad making friends with drugs, is it? I mean, come on, it always worked before. In the old days, I would turn people on to hash, or Thai stick or a palm-full of goofballs or ludes. God, they don’t make those anymore. Or, oh, sometimes, this would do the trick: Stoney and I would go over to Buckle’s and Puff would turn us on to a hot load of mescaline crumbled into a tumbler of ether with a float of Percocet jimmies. Mmm! I’d wake up with blood on my ass and then we’d get high. God, those were some good times, mmm!"
In Eazy-E's song "Down 2 Tha Last Roach" off the album "It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa," a mock interview is conducted between an unknown speaker and Eazy-E. When asked, "common slang names?" Eazy replies Thai sticks as one of the names.
In RZA's song "Drink, Smoke & Fuck" off the album Birth of a Prince, he raps about chocolate Thai stick, as one of the types of weed he likes to smoke.
In The Artifacts' song "Wrong Side of Da Tracks", Tame One recites "I burn my name up quick, like a Thai stick".
In Stephen Lynch's comedy song "Superhero", one verse is about the hero "Drug-Free Boy", who attacks "all of those junkies getting so high / with their needles and bongs and their sticks made of Thai".
In the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, college "stoner" vampires refer to drinking the blood of a slayer to being awesome like Thai stick.
In Welsh comedy rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain's song "21 Ounces", they talk of group member Adam Hussein selling weed and that he has "just got a load of wicked Thai stick".
In A Tribe Called Quest's song "8 Million Stories", a reference to Thai sticks is made in the second verse, which follows, "Now I'm station bound for the Thai sticks, I bought it for my man, I don't believe this shit."
In an episode of Nurse Jackie, a nurse comments to a patient high on Ecstasy, "Chasing your GNTs with a little Thai stick. Impressive."
The Rush song "A Passage To Bangkok" (2112 album, 1976) has been sited by Neil Peart as a reference to Thai Sticks. Just before the guitar solo there is the sound of a "toke" being taken.