Health Ministry to draft rules for cannabis flower bud sales

The Ministry of Public Health has officially classified cannabis flower buds as a "controlled herb" under the new Ministerial Notification on Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) 2025, which came into effect on June 26, 2025.

Under the regulation, the sale of cannabis flower buds now requires official authorisation and must be conducted strictly in accordance with a valid prescription issued by licensed professionals specified in the notification. 

The measure aims to regulate the use of cannabis for medical purposes and restrict its availability to patients under proper supervision.

To support implementation, the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine is preparing a supplementary announcement to specify the authorised prescription format, including a list of 15 medical conditions for which cannabis use may be permitted.

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin commented that he had reviewed the proposed prescription format and expressed concern over the need for wider consultation before its enforcement.

"In my view, there should be further discussion with relevant stakeholders, especially medical professionals licensed to prescribe cannabis under the regulation," he said, urging a review of the draft before it is finalised.

He added that while the announcement could be ready in just two or three days, it was important to ensure inclusive input.

“At this stage, dispensaries are not yet required to have certified medical professionals on-site. However, in the future, such a requirement may be introduced through a forthcoming ministerial regulation,” Somsak added.

Following a joint discussion with cannabis business operators on June 25, 2025, Dr Thewan Thanirat, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, confirmed that all stakeholders unanimously agreed on the principle of supporting the medical use of cannabis. They also endorsed the Ministry of Public Health’s latest notification classifying cannabis flower buds as a controlled herb, signed by Public Health Minister Somsak.

As a next step, the Ministry is now preparing a ministerial regulation to establish licensing criteria for the sale of cannabis flower buds. A drafting committee meeting has been scheduled for June 27, after which the draft will be reviewed by the Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom.

The draft will then be submitted to the Council of State for legal scrutiny, followed by a circulation of the draft for comments from all ministries. If no objections arise, the regulation will be tabled for Cabinet approval. 

Once endorsed, the Minister will sign it into law—a process expected to take several months.

The forthcoming regulation may include the following key conditions:

• Retailers must have an approved medical professional or authorised practitioner, as stipulated in the Ministry’s latest notification, stationed at the premises.
• Vendors must obtain consent from their local administrative organisations, given that cannabis emits smoke and odour, which may be deemed a public nuisance under the Public Health Act 1992. Such measures aim to address concerns from individuals who may suffer allergic reactions to cannabis odour.
• Cannabis flower bud sales licences will be valid for three years. Therefore, lease agreements submitted as part of the licensing application must exceed the validity period of the permit.

Dr Thewan stated that the department has finalised the format for cannabis prescriptions. The form will include the name of the authorised prescribing practitioner, the patient’s details, diagnosed conditions, the appropriate dosage per day (typically not exceeding 1 gram), total quantity prescribed, and the intended duration of use, capped at 30 days per prescription. 

Both the prescribing practitioner and the recipient must sign the document.

“Anyone wishing to purchase cannabis flower buds must present this prescription at the point of sale,” Dr Thewan emphasised.

Retailers licensed to sell cannabis flower buds will be required to submit monthly usage reports to the Department. Failure to comply or submitting falsified information could result in immediate suspension of the licence, as well as potential legal action for falsifying official documents.

Reports must also indicate the source of the cannabis flower buds, enabling the Department to trace the product back to its cultivation origin and verify adherence to production standards.

All cultivation sites must obtain a sales licence and ensure their cannabis flower buds meet medical-grade standards. These can include domestic certification or equivalent international standards such as EU-GMP or “Organic Thailand” certification. 

Each production batch must be accompanied by lab analyses, and those under the GAP standard issued by the Ministry of Agriculture must also provide analytical results.

“While a licence is not required at the planting stage, the moment cannabis flower buds are harvested for sale, the grower must obtain a sales licence,” Dr Thewan explained.

Enforcement will be rigorous, with weekly operations targeting illegal sales. Meanwhile, cannabis vendors have requested that the ministry support training for assistant medical practitioners and improve the efficiency of cultivation and harvesting assessments.

Vendors also called on the ministry to recognise globally accepted cannabis standards to avoid bottlenecks caused by selective approvals by certain agencies. Dr Thewan confirmed the Department’s willingness to accommodate such requests.

Additionally, business operators requested government support in deploying licensed medical personnel to dispensaries, in line with the new regulatory requirements. With over 50,000 medical doctors, tens of thousands of pharmacists, 30,000–40,000 traditional Thai medicine practitioners, as well as Chinese medicine practitioners and folk healers nationwide, there is sufficient professional capacity to support compliant cannabis prescribing.

Dr Thewan added that all prescribing professionals must adhere to their respective ethical codes. The Department will also offer professional training to ensure proper understanding of medical cannabis prescriptions.

Dr Thewan highlighted two significant changes under the latest ministerial notification:

• Cannabis flower buds must now be sourced from certified cultivation sites and meet recognised standards.
• Dispensaries may only sell cannabis flower to individuals with a valid medical prescription.

“Cannabis shops can still operate as before, but public access will be more restricted. Without a prescription, sales are prohibited,” he noted.

• Furthermore, prescriptions must reflect medical necessity and are limited to a 30-day supply per issuance. All dispensaries are required to retain copies of each prescription on-site for at least one year to allow for future audits.