Thailand reverses historic cannabis legalization

Thailand has implemented new restrictions requiring medical prescriptions for cannabis purchases, effectively ending three years of recreational use after becoming the first Asian country to decriminalize the plant in 2022.

Recreational weed no more: The new regulations, signed by Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, took effect June 27 after being published in the Royal Gazette. Cannabis dispensaries must now convert to medical clinics to remain in business, requiring a licensed medical professional on-site who can dispense cannabis. Of Thailand’s 18,000 licensed cannabis shops, 12,000 face license renewals in November and must meet new ministerial requirements by that deadline. Licensed shops may sell only limited quantities to prescription holders — a 30-day supply for personal use — and must purchase products exclusively from government-certified pharmaceutical-grade farms. Violators face up to one year in prison and fines of 20,000 baht ($614).

Why it happened: The policy shift accelerated after a two-year old girl was hospitalized following consumption of a cannabis-laced gummy, triggering nationwide raids on cannabis-infused foods and beverages. Critics link the timing to political maneuvering after the Bhumjaithai Party — which led the push to decriminalize cannabis — left the coalition government in late June. Cannabis farmers face additional hurdles, as only about 100 farms nationwide currently possess required Good Agriculture and Collection Practice certificates.

Visiting Thailand: Tourists must now secure medical certificates from Thailand or their home countries to buy cannabis for conditions like chemotherapy-related nausea or drug-resistant epilepsy, with Health Minister Somsak telling CNN that “Thailand should not be seen as a destination for recreational cannabis use.” The changes dramatically affect tourist hotspots like Bangkok’s Khao San Road and Pattaya, where hundreds of cannabis shops previously operated. Cannabis smuggling cases involving tourists have surged since legalization, resulting in over 800 arrests between October 2024 and March 2025.

Somsak told reporters he would like to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic in the future, completing Thailand’s dramatic policy reversal.