As of September 2026, cannabis flower in Thailand is a controlled herb dispensed against a prescription, extracts above 0.2% THC remain narcotics that need a licence, and the draft Cannabis Control Act has been approved by the Cabinet but is not yet law. This article summarises the rules in force now. How the law got here, from the 2022 delisting onward, is covered in Thailand’s Cannabis Rules, 2022 to 2026: A Map of How the Law Actually Changed.
The Instruments in Force (2026)
- Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Controlled Herbs (Cannabis), B.E. 2568: signed 23 June 2025, published in the Royal Gazette on 25 June and in force from 26 June 2025. It is issued under the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Knowledge Act B.E. 2542 and replaced an earlier controlled-herb notification of B.E. 2565 (2022). Only the flower (inflorescence) of the cannabis plant is designated a controlled herb.
- Ministerial Regulation on Controlled Herbs (No. 2) B.E. 2569: in force from 30 April 2026. It tightens the licensing conditions for cannabis flower on top of the 2025 notification.
- Ministerial Regulation on Cannabis or Hemp Extracts B.E. 2569: published in the Royal Gazette on 26 March 2026 and in force from 26 April 2026. Licences for extracts above 0.2% THC are limited to Thai legal entities that are not “foreign” under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999), to government agencies, and to the Thai Red Cross Society.
- Draft Cannabis Control Act (formerly the Cannabis and Hemp Act): approved by the Cabinet on 22 September 2026 and sent to the House of Representatives. It is not in force.
Legal Status of Cannabis in Thailand (2026)
- Medical Use: Cannabis flower is dispensed only against a prescription on the official form PT 33, written by an authorised practitioner. Each prescription covers no more than 30 days.
- Selling: Selling, processing for commercial purposes, research and export all require a licence under Section 46 of the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Knowledge Act B.E. 2542. Sale through vending machines, electronic channels or computer networks is prohibited, so cannabis flower cannot be sold online. Sale is also prohibited at temples and places of worship, dormitories, public parks, zoos and amusement parks.
- Advertising: Advertising controlled herbs for commercial purposes is prohibited on every channel.
- Consumption: Selling cannabis for smoking on the premises is prohibited, except by the listed practitioner groups for their own patients. Smoke or odour that disturbs other people is treated as a public nuisance under the Public Health Act B.E. 2535 (1992).
- No Recreational Channel: The 2025 notification did not return cannabis to the narcotics list, which is why older articles still describe cannabis as “decriminalized”. That is not permission for recreational use: since 2025 the lawful route to cannabis flower is a prescription.
- Extracts: Extracts containing more than 0.2% THC by weight remain Category 5 narcotics under Thailand’s narcotics framework; producing, importing, exporting, selling or possessing them requires a licence under the Ministerial Regulation on Permission to Produce, Import, Export, Sell or Possess Category 5 Narcotics, Specifically Cannabis or Hemp Extracts B.E. 2569 (2026).
Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) Compliance
Law-firm summaries of the 2025 notification (Tilleke & Gibbins) state that cannabis flower sold or exported must come from sites certified under GACP. Key aspects include:
- Cultivation Standards: GACP covers site selection, soil quality, water sources, air quality, pest control, hygiene, facility materials and post-harvest handling, with records that trace each batch from seed to sale.
- Certification Process: Certification follows an on-site inspection. According to the same summary, certificates are valid for one to three years and are followed by annual surveillance audits.
- Existing Licensees: Holders of a Section 46 licence issued before the 2025 notification took effect must also meet its conditions.
Future Directions
- The Draft Cannabis Control Act: The Cabinet approved the draft on 22 September 2026. It still has to pass the House of Representatives and the Senate, receive royal endorsement and be published in the Royal Gazette before it takes effect. Until then, the notification and the two Ministerial Regulations above remain the rules.
- Regulation by Notification: Because the current framework rests on ministerial instruments rather than a cannabis statute, it can change without a new Act. The June 2025 notification is an example.
- Export Opportunities: Export requires a licence, and GACP-certified cultivation remains the route by which Thai producers can supply regulated markets abroad.
In summary, Thailand’s cannabis rules in 2026 are prescription-based for flower and licence-based for selling, export and extracts above 0.2% THC, with GACP certification as the cultivation standard. Check the date on any guide you read: rules described as current in 2022-2024 articles no longer apply.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules in Thailand can change by notification; check the current Royal Gazette text or consult a Thai lawyer before acting.