Thailand Cannabis Law Update: Two New Regulations Now in Force (May 2026)

Thailand’s cannabis framework just got tighter — twice. Two separate ministerial regulations took effect across April 2026, and a third major piece of legislation is in its final pre-parliament consultation. If you operate a cannabis business, prescribe medical cannabis, or use cannabis under PT 33 in Thailand, the rules you were working with in March 2026 are no longer the rules you are working with today.

This is the consolidated breakdown of what changed, when, and what it means.

Regulation 1: Cannabis & Hemp Extracts (Effective 26 April 2026)

Official name: Ministerial Regulation on permission to produce, import, export, sell or possess Category 5 narcotics, specifically cannabis or hemp plant extracts, B.E. 2569 (2026)

Royal Gazette publication: 26 March 2026
Effective date: 26 April 2026 (30 days after publication)
Signed by: Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat

This regulation reaffirms that cannabis and hemp extracts containing more than 0.2% THC by weight remain Category 5 narcotics. The plant flower itself is still a controlled herb (a separate legal category), but the moment you extract concentrated THC content from cannabis or hemp, you cross into narcotics law.

Four Permitted Uses

Extracts above 0.2% THC are now restricted to exactly four purposes:

1. Official use in preventing and suppressing narcotics offences (เพื่อประโยชน์ของทางราชการในการป้องกันและปราบปรามการกระทำความผิดเกี่ยวกับยาเสพติด)
2. Medical purposes (เพื่อประโยชน์ในทางการแพทย์)
3. Analysis, education, or medical/scientific research (เพื่อการวิเคราะห์ การศึกษา หรือการศึกษาวิจัยทางการแพทย์หรือวิทยาศาสตร์)
4. Industrial purposes (เพื่อประโยชน์ในทางอุตสาหกรรม)

Anything outside of these four uses is no longer a legal pathway.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must be Thai juristic persons (not classified as “foreigners” under the Foreign Business Act), government agencies, or the Thai Red Cross Society. Foreign-owned businesses are explicitly excluded from producing, importing, or exporting medical cannabis/hemp extracts above the 0.2% threshold.

Old Licence Cliff

Licences issued under the previous 2020 and 2021 ministerial regulations remain valid only until 31 December 2026. After that, every operator handling extracts above the threshold needs a fresh licence under the 2569 framework.

For a full breakdown of every clause in this regulation, see our extract regulation explainer.

Regulation 2: Cannabis-Flower Licensing (Effective 30 April 2026)

Official name: Ministerial Regulation on the Permission for Study, Research, or Export of Controlled Herbs, or Sale, or Processing of Controlled Herbs for Commercial Purposes (No. 2) B.E. 2569 (กฎกระทรวงการอนุญาตให้ศึกษาวิจัยหรือส่งออกสมุนไพรควบคุม หรือจำหน่าย หรือแปรรูปสมุนไพรควบคุมเพื่อการค้า (ฉบับที่ ๒) พ.ศ. ๒๕๖๙)

Royal Gazette publication: 30 April 2026
Signed by: Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat

This is the regulation that completes the cannabis-shop transformation announced in April. It is not a separate licensing regime — it is an overlay that adds cannabis-flower-specific criteria on top of the existing controlled-herbs licensing framework that already covers other Thai medicinal plants like kwao krua.

The Four New Criteria

Every applicant for a sell, process, or export licence covering cannabis flower must now satisfy all four of the following — cumulatively:

1. Premises Ownership or Written Consent

The applicant holds ownership or possessory rights over the licensed premises, or provides written owner consent. Sub-leasing arrangements without documentation are no longer compatible with the licence.

2. Dedicated, Quality-Controlled Storage

Storage must be sized appropriately for planned volumes and equipped to maintain cannabis flower in good condition. The flower must be stored separately from other materials, kept off the floor, and held in conditions that protect quality.

3. Qualifying Applicant Status

The applicant must already hold a health-sector credential — hospital licence, herbal-products licence, pharmaceutical licence, folk-healer certification, or be a Section 46 cultivation site supplying licensed buyers. Standalone retail dispensaries from the open-market era no longer qualify.

4. DTAM-Trained Staff On Duty

At least one staff member who has completed training from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine must be physically present during all operating hours. Gaps are grounds for non-renewal.

Plus: Odor and Smoke Elimination

An effective odor and smoke elimination system is required — typically activated carbon filtration, sealed extraction systems, and documented maintenance.

Renewal = Re-Qualification

Existing licences continue running until their original expiry, but renewal is now a full re-qualification under the four criteria above. Operators previously suspended for non-compliance are permanently barred from renewal.

For the operator-level walkthrough, see our Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2569 compliance guide.

In Parallel: The Cannabis & Hemp Act in Public Consultation

While the two ministerial regulations are now in force, the more comprehensive Cannabis and Hemp Act (พ.ร.บ.กัญชา-กัญชง) is moving through its final pre-parliament stage. The Ministry of Public Health opened formal public consultation from 22 April to 21 May 2026 — closing in two days as of this article’s publication date.

What the draft act would add on top of the ministerial framework:

• A single statutory definition of cannabis and hemp (currently spread across multiple acts)
• Unified licensing authority
• Statutory penalty schedule (current penalties live in ministerial notifications)
• Mandatory electronic dispensing reports and GPS-tracked licence verification
• Formal treatment of home cultivation: non-commercial home cultivation remains unpunished, but sale requires a licence

Minister Pattana Promphat publicly stated on 27 April 2026 that Thailand “would focus on medical cannabis as a pathway towards a medical and health economy” and on 13 May 2026 confirmed that the government “has never had a free cannabis policy” — clear signals that the act, when it passes, will codify the medical-only direction rather than reopen recreational access.

For ongoing tracking, see our Cannabis and Hemp Act consultation tracker.

What This Means in Practice

For Patients and Tourists

Nothing in the access pathway has changed. You still go to a licensed clinic, present your passport or Thai ID, get a PT 33 prescription, and purchase from a licensed dispensary. The April 2026 regulations regulate the supply side, not the patient side. CBD products under 0.2% THC remain available without a prescription.

If you are a tourist, our tourist cannabis guide remains accurate — the only added context is that you may see fewer non-medical dispensaries operating as licences come up for renewal under the new criteria.

For Cannabis Shops and Dispensaries

This is where the impact is sharpest. If your licence expires in 2026 (4,587 licences do) or 2027 (5,210 licences), every renewal is now a substantive re-qualification:

• You need a qualifying health-sector credential or partnership
• Your premises must be owned, leased with written consent, or otherwise documented
• You must have DTAM-trained staff on duty during every operating hour
• Your storage and odor controls must be inspection-ready

Start preparing now. Operators who treat this as a paperwork exercise on the day of renewal will be refused.

For Cultivators and Extractors

The two regulations create a tighter closed loop:

• Extractors handling >0.2% THC need to fit one of the four permitted uses and operate under a 2569-framework licence by 1 January 2027
• Cultivators selling to sell/process/export licensees inherit the buyer’s qualifying-credential requirements through the supply chain
• Foreign-owned entities are excluded from the extract production track entirely

For Investors and Operators Considering Entry

The recreational-shop business model is fully closed. The viable models are:

1. Health-sector-anchored medical dispensaries (clinic + dispensary in one)
2. Pharmaceutical extract production for medical or research use (Thai-majority only)
3. GACP-certified cultivation supplying licensed buyers
4. CBD wellness brands operating under the 0.2% THC threshold
5. Hemp industrial products (fiber, food, construction)

Timeline Snapshot

What to Watch Next

Three things determine whether the May 2026 status quo holds:

1. Cannabis & Hemp Act parliamentary track. If parliament passes the act before year-end, the layered ministerial framework gets consolidated into a single statute. Penalty levels, the foreign-ownership question for extract producers, and home-cultivation rules all become statutorily defined rather than ministerially adjustable.

2. Inspection patterns. DTAM’s clarification guidelines (12 May 2026) signal active enforcement readiness. Watch for the first wave of renewal refusals — those will set the practical bar for what “compliant” means.

3. Tourist-zone enforcement. Public consumption remained an enforcement priority through April–May 2026. Tourists should continue to consume in private settings; the underlying smoking-in-public restriction from 2022 (under the Public Health Act) has not changed.

Stay Updated

We update this article and the pillar law page within 48 hours of any regulatory change. For the underlying patient-side rules see the PT 33 prescription guide and for visitor-specific guidance the tourist cannabis guide.