Cannabis is not banned in Thailand, but access to it is no longer unrestricted. Since June 2025, flower has been sold only on a prescription from a Thai practitioner, valid for up to 30 days. On 30 April 2026 a ministerial regulation set strict conditions for licences, and shops that don’t meet them are closing as their licences expire. On 22 September 2026 the cabinet approved a draft of a separate cannabis control law, which now goes to parliament.
How 2026 began
In January Health Minister Phatthana Phromphat presented figures as of 28 December 2025. The country had 18,433 cannabis outlets. For 8,636 of them the licence expired in 2025, and only 1,339 of those applied for renewal, or 15.5%. The other 7,297 did not apply, so the ministry projected the legal market would shrink to roughly 11,136 outlets. Another 4,587 licences were due to expire in 2026 and 5,210 in 2027.
At the same time the government approved a draft of a new licensing regulation. In January it was still under review by the Council of State.
The 30 April regulation: who can sell now
The regulation was published in the Royal Gazette on 30 April 2026 and covers flower. Existing licences remain valid until they expire, but a new or renewed licence goes only to someone who has one of the following:
- a licence for a medical facility;
- a licence to produce or sell medicines or herbal products;
- a licence for cannabis extracts;
- a folk healer’s certificate;
- their own plantation that sells raw material to licence holders.
There are new requirements for the premises too: a system that removes smell and smoke, a storeroom where raw material is kept separately and off the floor, and ownership of the premises or the owner’s written consent. Throughout opening hours the outlet must have a staff member trained by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM). Anyone whose licence was previously suspended for violations will be refused renewal.
For an ordinary retail shop without a medical or pharmacy licence, renewing under these rules is almost impossible. In September the minister put it even more bluntly: to renew, a shop has to become a medical facility with a doctor.
Prescriptions and bans
The prescription regime was introduced not by the new regulation but by last year’s Health Ministry notification, in force since 26 June 2025. Prescriptions valid for up to 30 days are written by Thai doctors, doctors of traditional and Chinese medicine, pharmacists, dentists and folk healers. The same notification bans smoking at the point of sale, selling online and through vending machines, advertising in any channel and selling in temples, dormitories and parks.
Since June 2026 DTAM has applied a penalty scale to licence holders. Selling without a prescription means a 90-day suspension. Selling to anyone under 20, smoking on the premises, online sales and repeat violations mean the licence is revoked. Illegal sale, including sale without a prescription, carries up to a year in prison or a fine of up to 20,000 baht.
Since 14 March 2026 local authorities, including the Pattaya city administration, can also inspect outlets, seize goods and detain unlicensed sellers.
The new law
On 22 September the cabinet approved the Cannabis Control bill. Judging by what the Health Ministry has published, it includes:
- a national committee chaired by the health minister;
- DTAM licences for growing, production, import, export and sale, valid for three years;
- use for medical and research purposes only;
- a ban on sales to anyone under 20, to pregnant and breastfeeding women, and on advertising flower and smoking accessories;
- penalties for unlicensed sellers and fines for consumers who use cannabis for purposes other than those permitted.
The size of the fines has not been published yet. Nobody has officially proposed putting cannabis back on the narcotics list. In July Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he was ready to “shut it down” if the facts showed harm, but no decision followed.
What it means for tourists and expats
- You cannot legally buy without a prescription. The prescription is written by a Thai practitioner, and the outlet is required to check it.
- Smoking in the street or on the beach is risky. If the smoke bothers people, that is a breach of the public health law: failing to comply with an official’s order carries up to three months’ detention or a fine of up to 25,000 baht, or both.
- Don’t drive. For driving under the influence, the traffic law provides for up to a year in prison or a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 baht and loss of your driving licence.
- Taking it out of the country is not allowed at all. Since June 2026 customs has been seizing all cannabis and charging 30,000 baht for every kilogram, and in court, taking it out of the country carries up to ten years. In your destination country the same act may bring a much harsher penalty.
The bottom line
In a year and a half Thailand has gone from open retail to a prescription model. The January figures showed the market was already shrinking on its own, the April regulation closed off renewal for most ordinary shops, and the September bill will anchor the medical model in law. The wave of closures will continue until 2028, as the three-year licences run out. The ministry has not yet published how many outlets have renewed under the new rules.
On the medical side of the topic: the endocannabinoid system and how THC and CBD work.
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