New cannabis-hemp extract rules take effect, limiting use to four purposes

Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat has outlined Thailand’s direction for medical cannabis, saying the country is focusing on medical cannabis as a pathway towards the health economy.

Laws are being prepared for revision to align with global conditions, covering cultivation, distribution, processing and use.

The Public Health Ministry has already laid down its framework and will begin pushing it forward in full. The aim is to raise the quality of cannabis extracts and maximise their impact on the economy.

Medical cannabis to support the health economy

Pattana said discussions were under way and information was being prepared for submission. A ministerial regulation that has passed review by the Office of the Council of State is now coming into force. After that, the economic management model will be updated in a more systematic way.

He said the key issue was to ensure international acceptance and manage products so they do not breach the laws of destination countries. Asked whether the Bhumjaithai Party would continue pushing the Cannabis and Hemp Bill, he said the matter had not been discussed at the party’s latest meeting.

Asked about the strength of Thai cannabis and its potential to compete internationally, particularly with the United States, Pattana said Thai cannabis had a clear advantage in its “good strains”, giving it an edge in the global market.

Controlled extracts allowed under four purposes

Cannabis in Thailand was delisted from Category 5 narcotics on June 9, 2022. All parts of the cannabis plant are no longer classified as narcotics, except extracts containing more than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by weight, which remain classified as narcotics. Cannabis flowers have also been declared a controlled herb.

Most recently, on March 26, 2026, the Ministerial Regulation on permission to produce, import, export, sell or possess Category 5 narcotics, specifically cannabis or hemp plant extracts, BE 2569 (2026), was published in the Royal Gazette. It came into force 30 days after publication, meaning it has been effective since April 26, 2026.

The new ministerial regulation sets rules for permission to use cannabis and hemp extracts containing more than 0.2% THC by weight, which are still classified as narcotics. It replaces the previous 2021 ministerial regulation, which limited use to medical cannabis only.

The key points of the new regulation are as follows: 

1. Permission to produce, import, export, sell or possess such extracts is allowed only for the following purposes:

• for official use in preventing and suppressing narcotics offences;
• for medical purposes;
• for analysis, education or medical or scientific research;
• and for industrial purposes.

2. Applicants seeking permission to produce extracts for medical purposes must be juristic persons that are not foreigners under the law on foreign business operations, government agencies or the Thai Red Cross Society. 

They must also hold a licence to produce modern medicine or herbal products, or be exempt from the requirement to obtain such a licence.

3. Applicants seeking permission to import or export extracts for medical or industrial purposes must be juristic persons that are not foreigners, government agencies or the Thai Red Cross Society.

4. Applicants seeking permission to sell must be licensed producers or importers.

5. Applicants seeking permission to possess extracts for medical or industrial purposes must be persons with duties or operations related to medical or industrial objectives.

6. Applicants seeking permission to produce extracts for industrial purposes must be juristic persons that are not foreigners, government agencies or the Thai Red Cross Society.

7. For each import or export, licensed importers or exporters must obtain specific permission every time they import or export.

8. Licensed producers for medical or industrial purposes must:

• arrange for analysis of extracts produced before they are removed from the production site; if the analysis results do not meet the required standards, the extracts must be destroyed or corrected to meet the authorised standards;
• arrange for THC content analysis every time production takes place;
• display a sign indicating that the site is a production facility for cannabis or hemp plant extracts;
• provide labels on containers or packaging of extracts, showing the name of the producer and the address of the production site;
• and submit monthly operational reports to the licensor within one month from the end of each month.

9. Licensed importers for medical or industrial purposes must:

• display a sign indicating the import site;
• provide labels on containers or packaging, showing the name of the importer, the importer’s place of business, and the name of the overseas producer or product owner;
• and submit monthly operational reports to the licensor within one month from the end of each month.

10. Licensed exporters for medical or industrial purposes must:

• display a sign indicating the export site;
• provide labels on containers or packaging, showing the name of the exporter and the exporter’s place of business, the name of the producer and the location of the production site, and the word “Thailand”;
• and submit monthly operational reports to the licensor within one month from the end of each month.

11. Licensed sellers for medical or industrial purposes must display a sign indicating the sales site and sell only to persons licensed under this ministerial regulation. They must also submit monthly operational reports to the licensor within one month from the end of each month.

12. Licensed possessors for medical or industrial purposes must submit monthly operational reports to the licensor within one month from the end of each month.

13. If a licensee is unable to carry out production, import or export under the control section, they must request an amendment to the plan for the licensor’s consideration within 30 days from the date on which it becomes clear that the operation cannot proceed, in line with criteria set by the secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration.

14. Licences issued under the Ministerial Regulation on applications for permission and permission to produce, import, export, sell or possess Category 5 narcotics specifically hemp, BE 2563 (2020), and the Ministerial Regulation on applications for permission and permission to produce, import, export, sell or possess Category 5 narcotics specifically cannabis, BE 2564 (2021), from the date the Narcotics Code came into force until the day before this new regulation came into force, will remain valid until December 31, 2026.

For cannabis that is not classified as a narcotic but remains a “controlled herb”, a ministerial regulation is being proposed by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine. The aim is to promote medical use and upgrade the entire supply chain, from upstream to midstream and downstream.