This article sets out the Thai cannabis rules for farms and shops as they stood in September 2026. It covers which legal texts are in force, what changed in 2025â2026, and what to check on your own licence.
Thai legal texts use Buddhist Era (B.E.) years, which are 543 years ahead of the Western calendar. B.E. 2568 is 2025 and B.E. 2569 is 2026.
Where the law stands (September 2026)
Cannabis flower (āļāđāļāļāļāļāļāļąāļāļāļē) is a controlled herb (āļŠāļĄāļļāļāđāļāļĢāļāļ§āļāļāļļāļĄ). This means it falls under the Thai Traditional Medicine Protection Act B.E. 2542 (1999). Research, sale, processing or export of the flower needs a licence under that Act.
The rule that made flower a controlled herb is the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Controlled Herbs (Cannabis), B.E. 2568. It has been in force since 26 June 2025.
A new law is on the way, but it is not in force yet. The Cabinet approved the draft Cannabis Control Act on 22 September 2026 and sent it to the House of Representatives. Its earlier name was the Cannabis and Hemp Act.
The draft only becomes law after Parliament passes it and it is published in the Royal Gazette (āļĢāļēāļāļāļīāļāļāļēāļāļļāđāļāļāļĐāļē). The Royal Gazette is the official government journal that prints every Thai law. Until then, three texts set the rules: the B.E. 2568 notification above and the two B.E. 2569 ministerial regulations described below.
Translatorâs note: Donât change your licence, staff or investment plans based on the draft Act. It can still change in Parliament. Keep following the three texts in force. You can read the original Thai texts yourself, and this forum topic explains how.
Change 1: Cannabis flower is now a controlled herb
To buy flower legally, a person needs a valid PT 33 (āļ .āļ.33) prescription. PT 33 is the official Thai prescription form for controlled herbs. Seven groups of licensed practitioners can issue it: medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, Thai traditional medicine practitioners, applied Thai traditional medicine practitioners, Chinese medicine practitioners and folk healers.
One prescription can cover a supply of up to 30 days.
Recreational use is not allowed. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says that using, possessing or buying cannabis flower without authorisation is illegal. Published sources give different maximum penalties for personal use, and we could not confirm any figure in the official texts. Do not rely on a specific number.
Translatorâs note: Some websites quote a penalty of â3 months / 25,000 bahtâ. That penalty does not appear anywhere in the 1999 Act. The penalty under Section 78 of the Act is up to 1 year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both. It applies to anyone who does research on, exports, sells or processes a controlled herb without a licence (Section 46). It also applies to anyone who keeps doing business while their licence is suspended (Section 52, paragraph 2).
What to do: If you sell flower, check that each sale has a valid PT 33 and that the amount sold is no more than the supply of up to 30 days it allows. This keeps every sale inside the prescription rule.
Change 2: Two ministerial regulations of B.E. 2569
A ministerial regulation is a rule issued by a minister under an existing Act. Two of them took effect in April 2026, and this topic covers them in more detail.
Regulation 1: Extracts with more than 0.2% THC
Its full name is the Ministerial Regulation on Cannabis or Hemp Extracts B.E. 2569. It was published on 26 March 2026 and took effect on 26 April 2026.
- It controls the production, import, export, sale and possession of cannabis or hemp extracts with more than 0.2% THC.
- These extracts are allowed for four purposes only: narcotics control by the government, medical use, medical or scientific research, and industrial use.
- Only three kinds of applicant can get a licence. The first is a Thai juristic person, meaning a company or other legal entity registered in Thailand. It must not count as âforeignâ under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999). Under Section 4 of that Act, a company registered in Thailand counts as foreign if foreigners hold half or more of its shares, or have invested half or more of its total capital. The other two are government agencies and the Thai Red Cross Society.
Regulation 2: Licences for cannabis flower
Its full name is the Ministerial Regulation on Controlled Herbs (No. 2) B.E. 2569. It took effect on 30 April 2026, the same day it was published in the Royal Gazette. Section 4 of the 1999 Act says these regulations take effect on the day they are published.
This regulation changes the licensing rules for cannabis flower. It makes the criteria for getting a licence stricter. Under the new rules, five types of premises can apply to sell or process flower: health facilities, modern pharmacies, herbal product shops, folk healersâ practice sites and cultivation sites that grow for sale. Guidance from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) says each type needs the right professional. For example, a pharmacy needs a pharmacist, and a herbal shop needs a Thai traditional, applied Thai traditional or Chinese medicine practitioner. A trained staff member must be on site whenever the premises are open.
What to do: If you make or hold extracts, measure the THC level of each batch. This tells you whether Regulation 1 applies to you. If you hold a flower licence, read Regulation 2 in Thai and list every new duty that applies to you. This shows where your farm or shop falls short before an inspector finds it.
What is still legal without a prescription
- Cannabis extracts with less than 0.2% THC. These do not fall under Regulation 1 and do not need a PT 33.
- Roots, stems and leaves. Only the flower is a controlled herb, so these parts are not.
Translatorâs note: The original article called extracts below 0.2% THC âunrestrictedâ. That goes too far. A product made from these extracts, such as a food, cosmetic or herbal product, still has to follow the normal Thai product rules for its category. Ask the Thai Food and Drug Administration (āļāļĒ.) which rules apply. Before you sell one, check which category it belongs to and what registration that category needs.
What is prohibited
- Selling cannabis flower online.
- Selling it through vending machines.
- Smoking cannabis in public.
- Selling to anyone under 20 years old.
- Advertising cannabis flower.
What to do: Check your shopâs social media pages, website and messaging accounts. Delete any post that offers flower for sale or advertises it. Under the B.E. 2568 notification, these posts break the rules even if the sale itself happens in the shop. This topic explains what you may and may not post.
Impact on farms and shops
An article on the Siam Legal website, published on 28 January 2026 and listed in the references, gave these figures. It credits the Ministry of Public Health. News reports date the count to 28 December 2025. The 18,433 figure is the number of registered cannabis shops; the reports do not say which licence type was counted:
| Item | Number |
|---|---|
| Shops in total | 18,433 |
| Shops closed | 7,297 |
| Shops still operating | 11,136 |
| Licences expiring in 2026 | 4,587 |
| Licences expiring in 2027 | 5,210 |
Farms with the correct licences can keep operating. Cultivation sites that grow for sale are one of the premises types that can apply for a licence. The DTAM guidance we checked sets staffing rules for shops and clinics. It does not say that farms need medical staff on site. Ask your licensing office what applies to your farm.
Translatorâs note: With nearly 10,000 licences expiring in 2026â2027, renewal is the biggest practical risk. Find the expiry date on your licence now. Ask your licensing office how early you can apply to renew. In Bangkok, that is the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (āļāļĢāļĄāļāļēāļĢāđāļāļāļĒāđāđāļāļāđāļāļĒāđāļĨāļ°āļāļēāļĢāđāļāļāļĒāđāļāļēāļāđāļĨāļ·āļāļ). In other provinces, it is the provincial public health office (āļŠāļģāļāļąāļāļāļēāļāļŠāļēāļāļēāļĢāļāļŠāļļāļāļāļąāļāļŦāļ§āļąāļ). Applying early gives you time to fix problems under the stricter Regulation 2 criteria.
Translatorâs note: Losing a licence costs far more than keeping one, so understand the penalties:
- Suspension: Under Section 52, one order can suspend a licence for up to 90 days. Doing business during a suspension is punishable under Section 78, as described above.
- Revocation: Under Section 54, a person whose licence is revoked cannot get a licence under the Act for two years. After that, any new licence is at the licensing authorityâs discretion.
- Company and managers: Under Clause 8(1)(e) of the B.E. 2559 (2016) licensing regulation, the two-year ban also covers the companyâs directors, managers and other responsible persons. That regulation was published in the Royal Gazette, vol. 133, part 103 Kor, on 9 December 2016.
- Appeal: Under Section 70, you can appeal to the Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Knowledge within 30 days of being notified. The order stays in force while the appeal is pending. Under Section 71, the Committeeâs decision is final.
This topic covers the full penalty map.
Your checklist for this month
- Write down your licence expiry date and set a reminder. This gives you time to renew before the licence lapses.
- Download the Thai texts of the B.E. 2568 notification and both B.E. 2569 regulations from the Royal Gazette. This lets you check claims against the law itself instead of against blogs.
- Compare your farm or shop with the Regulation 2 duties, point by point. This shows what to fix before an inspection or renewal.
- Check your online accounts for flower sale or advertising posts, and remove them. This removes a common cause of action against shops.
- Make a staff list showing each personâs role and qualification, including any medical or traditional medicine staff. This lets you show an inspector that the right professional is on duty.
If your licence case or farm setup is unusual, post your question under this topic. Other growers and licence holders can share how their renewals and inspections went.
References
- Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2569 â JusLaws
- Two New Ministerial Regulations â Lexology
- Cannabis Law Updates May 2026 â Cannabis Law Report
- Thailand Cannabis Law 2026: Current Legal Status Explained â Cannabis for Thailand
- 7,000+ Cannabis Shops Shut â Siam Legal
- Primary texts (read these first): the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Controlled Herbs (Cannabis), B.E. 2568; the Ministerial Regulation on Cannabis or Hemp Extracts B.E. 2569; and the Ministerial Regulation on Controlled Herbs (No. 2) B.E. 2569. All three are in the Royal Gazette (āļĢāļēāļāļāļīāļāļāļēāļāļļāđāļāļāļĐāļē).