Cannabis decriminalisation has lead to a bizarre new career path in Thailand - the 'budtender'.

A portmanteau of 'bud' and 'bartender', the relatively new job combines sales, customer service, and a bit of pharmacy to match the perfect weed strain for each client.

One such budtender is JJ, 23, who runs the MagicLeaf Cannabis Dispensary along Soi Sukhumvit 23 in Bangkok.

He said: 'A budtender is very similar to a bartender. He knows everything about weed, or THC, every compound, like CBN, CBG. He can tell you which weed would be better for you.

'My job involves selling weed and giving the customers a nice time.

'I do tell people how to smoke weed if it's their first time smoking weed. I tell them to regulate themselves and be careful with it, because we don't want anybody getting a panic attack.'

Like a wine sommelier, JJ judges his cannabis products with an expert eye and sharp nose.

He said: 'I check out the weed, how the weed is, how it looks, how it smells. Mostly how it smells because that is one of the most important things. Because weed that does not smell is not good, no matter what it is.'

The various scents come from terpenes, aromatic compounds that give each strain a distinctive smell ranging from 'fruity' to 'earthy'. They also produce different mood-altering effects.

JJ said the three most popular strains among his customers were the 'OG Kush', 'Girl Scout Cookies', and 'Pineapple Express.'

He added that his family was happy for him as business was flourishing and his shop was getting rave reviews from clients.

Still, the future of cannabis dispensaries in Thailand remains hazy, as government officials have not yet passed laws regulating its use, while critics vow to have the drug re-criminalised and force the new wave of neon-lit shops to close down.

JJ said: 'As we are now, we are still in a gray zone. We don't know when something will happen. They tell us everything upfront, but they don't let us know what to do. They say next month they're gonna impose taxes. There's many things, you cannot understand what's going on.'

Cannabis was decriminalised in Thailand last year, leading to thousands of brightly-coloured shops and trucks selling the drug appearing across the capital Bangkok.

Technically, the drug has not been legalised but it has been removed from the list of banned narcotics. However, ministers have performed a series of u-turns and it now faces being banned again.

Opponents also claim that cannabis cafes and shops bring down the appearance of cities while researchers fear an explosion in cannabis-induced mental health problems such as psychosis.