Thailand Restricts Recreational Cannabis Use, Returns to Medical-Only Market

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On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the government of Thailand changed its policy on cannabis, resulting in access to cannabis for medical use only, reported the BBC (1). Unpermitted cannabis consumption will once again become a criminal activity at some point in the future, according to the public health minister (1). The new regulations, published in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday, defined cannabis as controlled herbs that require a prescription from a doctor in order to be purchased (2). Specifically, cannabis can be sold only by authorized practitioners, including traditional folk healers, who must include certain information on the prescriptions, such as the necessary treatment amount. The maximum duration of use for the medical cannabis is 30 days (2).

An increase in smuggling of cannabis from Thailand into other countries as well as the recent withdrawal of the political party that had originally promoted cannabis legalization were suggested as the motivations behind the change (1,3).

According to The Nation, the new regulations outline multiple facets of the plant's use and handling (2): only cannabis flowers are classified as controlled herbs; special licenses will be needed for research, sales, exports, or processing of the flowers, along with regular reports and documentation on their sources and intended uses; and sales may only take place between licensees and must originate from sources that are Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) certified. Additionally, cannabis advertising and commercials sales are banned, as well as sales near locations including temples and public parks.

On June 26, the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) listed more than 15 conditions that qualify for a medical cannabis prescription, including cancer, asthma, chronic pain, and depression (4). The prescription form will be designed by the department and published in the near future (4).

In 2022, Thailand had become the first country in Asia to legalize recreational cannabis, after having legalized medical cannabis in 2018 (5). Less than two years after this, the newly elected Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, stated his intent to roll back the looser regulations on recreational cannabis (6). A new law had been in development, according to Health Minster, Cholnan Srikaew, that would return the market to medical only and relabel cannabis as a controlled plant (6).

In a reversal of these plans in July 2024, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Anutin Charnvirakul had announced that cannabis would not be re-labeled a narcotic, as the previous Prime Minister Thavisin had proposed (5). The country’s cannabis industry, as a result of increased tourism and new dispensaries, had been predicted to reach $1.2 billion in 2025 (5).

References

1. Head, J. Thailand's 'weed wild west' faces new rules as smuggling to UK rises https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c056l0dgg8jo (accessed Jun 26, 2025).
2. The Nation. Thailand reclassifies cannabis bud as a controlled herb, restricts sales and advertising https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40051766 (accessed Jun 26, 2025).
3. Setboonsarng, C.; Wesshasartar, N. Thailand moves to recriminalise cannabis, shaking $1 billion industry https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/thailand-moves-recriminalise-cannabis-shaking-1-bln-industry-2025-06-25/ (accessed Jun 26, 2025).
4. The Nation. DTAM lists 15 types of sickness eligible for ganja smoking https://www.nationthailand.com/health-wellness/40051784 (accessed Jun 26, 2025).
5. McEvoy, E. Amid Ongoing Regulatory Discussions, Cannabis in Thailand Will Not Be Re-Criminalized https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/amid-ongoing-regulatory-discussions-cannabis-in-thailand-will-not-be-re-criminalized (accessed Jun 26, 2025).
6. McEvoy, E. Proposals Unveiled for Restrictions on Recreational Cannabis in Thailand https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/proposals-unveiled-for-restrictions-on-recreational-cannabis-in-thailand (accessed Jun 26, 2025).