Thailand to end cannabis free-for-all by June with strict new rules requiring medical certs, 30-day limits and licenced supplies. The crackdown comes amid rising smuggling cases, especially linked to UK tourists, sparking industry and political opposition.
Thailand’s Minister of Public Health, Somsak Thepsutin, is pressing ahead with plans to rein in cannabis sales through ministerial regulation. Last week, he pledged that the reform would be completed within 40 days. The new regulatory regime is expected to be introduced sometime in June, with public hearings scheduled for June 5. However, the plan is already facing mounting opposition from within the cannabis industry. Observers expect the Bhumjaithai Party to use its influence to preserve the status quo, especially if the draft regulations are brought before the Cabinet. Details of the proposed framework have already emerged. It will include a medical certification system, a maximum 30-day prescription limit, and tight controls over the supply of cannabis to dispensaries. Meanwhile, a British couple were arrested on Tuesday in Valencia for allegedly smuggling cannabis from Thailand to Spain.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin is racing to end Thailand’s cannabis free-for-all. A strict new framework is coming this June. The Cabinet must first review and approve it. Public hearings are scheduled for June 5. After that, the Ministry will impose strict controls on sales, prescriptions and supply.
This crackdown follows a spike in cannabis smuggling—especially by foreigners. British nationals are now a major concern. In the latest case, a British couple was arrested at Valencia Airport in Spain.
Arrest of British couple with large quantity of vacuum-packed Thai cannabis sparks new smuggling crackdown
They had flown in from Thailand via Paris.
Their nervous behaviour and light luggage triggered suspicion. Inside their bags, officers found 33.5 kilograms of vacuum-packed Thai cannabis. No clothes. No toiletries. Just weed.
They’re not alone. Over 50 British nationals have been arrested in Thailand for smuggling cannabis since last year. Thai authorities have opened more than 800 smuggling cases, seizing nearly nine tonnes of product. Just last month, 73 kilograms of marijuana were confiscated at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Therefore, the government is tightening retail rules. All sales will soon require a medical prescription. Buyers will be limited to a 30-day supply. Bulk purchases will no longer be allowed. Dispensaries must also register and operate with proper licences.
Every buyer will need proof of illness. Doctors or traditional medicine practitioners must issue the prescription. In some cases, trained folk healers may be allowed to prescribe as well. The Ministry is preparing a list of eligible professionals and a mandatory training course. Importantly, those who issue false prescriptions may face criminal charges.
At the same time, the Ministry will clamp down on high-THC cannabis. Retail buds now often test at 25% THC or more. That’s well above the new legal limit of 0.2%. Sellers must ensure their products stay within bounds—or face penalties.
Government will tighten cannabis sales with medical prescriptions and strict THC limits to curb abuse
Still, this tougher stance has triggered pushback. The Bhumjaithai Party, which drove cannabis decriminalisation, remains opposed. Many cannabis businesses are also alarmed. Some fear they’ll be driven out of the market overnight.
Daycha Siripatra, a prominent traditional medicine expert, warned of unrest. “Many people have invested heavily. If they lose their livelihoods, they won’t stay quiet,” he said. Others worry about a return to criminal penalties for cannabis users and growers.
Panthep Puapongpan, Dean of the College of Oriental Medicine at Rangsit University, believes the new rules favour modern doctors too heavily. “Many of them won’t prescribe cannabis,” he said. “They don’t trust it or they fear pharmaceutical backlash.” He also warned that stricter rules could push sick patients to buy cannabis illegally.
Moreover, questions remain about home growing. Since 2022, Thais have been free to grow cannabis at home for personal use. Now, that freedom could be lost. The Ministry hasn’t confirmed if small-scale cultivation will still be permitted under the new rules.
Opposition arises over strict cannabis laws amid fears for livelihoods and the future of home cultivation rights
The latest legal steps were taken on May 22. The Subcommittee on Laws under the Act on the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medical Knowledge met for three hours. It agreed to amend the Ministry’s current declaration on controlled herbs.
The change means cannabis flowers will soon require a prescription for purchase. Qualified prescribers will include doctors, dentists, pharmacists, traditional practitioners and trained folk medicine doctors.
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine is overseeing training. It will prepare a full roster of certified professionals. Another new rule will allow the Director-General to block licence renewals from any dispensary with a poor compliance record.
Somsak says he is moving fast. “I will improve regulations on cannabis use in Thailand,” he told reporters. “Cannabis smokers—foreign and Thai—must have medical certificates.” He stressed that the new rules will be issued within 40 days.
Dr Somlerk Jeungsmarn, the department’s Director-General, explained further. “Cannabis must now be considered medicine,” he said. Patients will need to show medical records for conditions like seizures, pain, or insomnia. Any use beyond a 30-day limit will no longer qualify as medical. Users who fail to comply could face arrest.
New cannabis prescription rules and licensing enforcement aim to regulate medical use by mid-year
Thailand made headlines in 2022 when it became the first Asian country to decriminalise cannabis. Over 10,700 dispensaries quickly opened—many in tourist hotspots like Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket. However, the country failed to pass a cannabis control law. As a result, the market spun out of control.
Despite election promises, the Pheu Thai-led government has struggled to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic. Coalition ties with Bhumjaithai have blocked more radical measures. A full cannabis bill is still under draft. Somsak admitted that a proper law may take up to two more years. “The cannabis bill will go on its own track,” he said. “But it cannot be rushed.”
In the meantime, his new rules will act as a temporary firewall. The goal is clear: restore order and limit abuse. With international smuggling cases growing, pressure is rising from abroad as well.
Thailand’s cannabis market faces legal uncertainty as government delays full control law by up to two years
Just last week, a 23-year-old British woman was arrested in Ghana. She allegedly tried to fly 18 kilograms of Thai cannabis back to the UK. In another case, 18-year-old Bella May Culley was caught with 14 kilograms in Georgia. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, Charlotte Lee May, 21, faces 25 years in prison. At length, she was allegedly caught smuggling 46 kilograms of top-grade Kush.
Cannabis law emerges as a big political threat to the coalition judging by what happened in the 2022 revolt
Second UK woman is jailed in a Third World hell hole after smuggling cannabis-based drugs from Bangkok
Health Minister Somsak launches regulatory blitz to outlaw non-medical cannabis use within 40 days
Thailand’s reputation as a cannabis-free zone is taking a hit. For smugglers, the risk is rising fast. “If people remain unhappy, we’ll re-criminalise it,” Somsak warned. That would end the short-lived cannabis experiment for good.
As more foreign traffickers are arrested overseas, it is now clear that the stakes have changed. What once seemed like easy profit now faces a shattered future. Certainly, the message is spreading: the days of easy Thai weed are numbered.
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Further reading:
Health Minister Somsak launches regulatory blitz to outlaw non-medical cannabis use within 40 days
Outbound cannabis smuggling smashed by Chiang Mai police. Europe and London presently targeted
Buriram cannabis factory raided for illegal Vietnamese staff as drugs czar declares a new regime
UK ambassador meets top Thai officials to further plans to rein in cannabis as smuggling surges
UK holiday maker to Thailand lands in Heathrow Airport London with £1 million worth of cannabis
Dark web Xanax counterfeiting gang managed from Thailand smashed in the UK with 10 people convicted
Unlikely rags to riches convict star arrested in Thailand because of online gambling promotion
