BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s government is set to impose its toughest cannabis crackdown in four years, restricting use to medical purposes only and slapping violators with jail time.
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) drafted the bill after public hearings. Director-General Dr. Pongsathorn Phokphermdee handed it over to Health Minister Pattana Promphat on July 20.
New cannabis control bill on the table
The draft now awaits cabinet review. It aims to replace existing regulations with a single legal framework covering cultivation, production, import, export, sale and public health protection.
Anyone wanting to grow, process, import, export or sell cannabis will need a DTAM licence. Each licence lasts three years. Roots, branches, stems, leaves and seeds are exempt from licensing.
No sale to youths or near schools
Cannabis cannot be sold to anyone under 20, pregnant women or nursing mothers. Shops are banned from operating in temples, schools, dormitories, public parks, zoos and amusement parks.
Critics have slammed the weak enforcement of current rules and the uncontrolled commercial market that has mushroomed across the country.
Advertising ban and medical use only
Any advertising for cannabis buds, resin or smoking accessories would be outlawed. Marketing that encourages consumption is also banned under the draft. Only cannabis and extracts for medical treatment under professional supervision or approved research will be allowed.
Recreational use is explicitly excluded from the legal framework. Anyone who consumes without a medical reason will be acting outside the law.
Prison and fines for violators
Producing, importing, exporting or selling without a licence can result in prison time and fines. Selling to prohibited groups also triggers criminal penalties.
Even unauthorised use carries fines. Health Ministry officials stress the new law creates far tougher enforcement powers than the current patchwork of regulations.
The U-turn after four years of free-for-all
In June 2022, Thailand removed cannabis from its narcotics list – a flagship project of the Bhumjaithai Party. Former Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wanted to promote medical cannabis and open new markets.
Thousands of shops sprouted up and recreational use exploded. A comprehensive law never materialised. Instead, politicians lurched from one ministerial order to the next with limited effect.
Prescription on paper, little control in shops
Current rules require a doctor’s prescription before purchase. Activist Chokwan Chopaka said:
No one really follows the official way to make a legal purchase.
said Chokwan Chopaka, activist.
A pharmacy on Khao San Road confirmed higher costs because it employs a doctor several times a week to check prescriptions. A staff member reported that tourists caught without a prescription often get lighter treatment from police than locals.
National Cannabis Committee to oversee industry
The law creates a national committee chaired by the Health Minister. It will steer policy, licensing and enforcement centrally. Pattana Promphat will lead the body once the bill takes effect.
The law aims to replace the current regulation-by-order with a comprehensive legal framework.