Updates on laws

[blaze master]

I haven't seen a translated version as of yet. Tomorrow the rules take effect. Apparently. 

 

If anyone can read this and give a good translation it would be appreciated.

[indyo]

translated by chatgpt:

 

Ministry of Public Health Announcement

Subject: Narcotic Substance (Cannabis) B.E. 2567 (2024)

 

In accordance with the intention to revise the Ministry of Public Health’s announcement titled “Narcotic Substance (Cannabis)” B.E. 2565 (2022), announced on June 16, B.E. 2565 (2022), to align with the current academic principles and medical usage practices, and to prevent inappropriate or recreational use which may negatively affect public health — especially among youth and vulnerable groups — and to provide clear guidelines for the enforcement of relevant laws:

 

By virtue of Article 24, paragraph one, of the Narcotics Act B.E. 2564 (2021), the Ministry of Public Health, upon approval by the Narcotics Control Board in its meeting No. 2/2567 on March 26, B.E. 2567 (2024), hereby issues this announcement:

 

1. Cancellation of Previous Announcement

 

The Announcement of the Ministry of Public Health regarding Narcotic Substance (Cannabis) B.E. 2565, dated June 16, B.E. 2565 (2022), is hereby repealed.

 

2. Classification of Cannabis

 

Cannabis plants in the genus Cannabis and their parts are designated as narcotic substances under Category 5, except for the following:

 

(a) Exceptions for Specific Plant Parts:

 

Bark, stem, fibers, branches, roots, leaves that do not have floral tops or buds, and are not mixed with the tops or buds.

 

Extracts containing cannabidiol (CBD) with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) not exceeding 0.2% by weight and which have received approval or registration according to relevant laws.

 

 

(b) Cannabis seeds used for:

 

Cultivation, or

 

Production of oil for consumption, or

 

Production of ingredients approved under food or drug laws.

 

 

 

---

 

Page 2

 

Individuals or entities engaged in the research, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, or possession of cannabis parts, must strictly comply with relevant laws. Medical professionals and traditional medicine practitioners must also adhere to regulations issued by the Ministry of Public Health.

 

The following are prohibited:

 

Selling cannabis or products containing cannabis through vending machines or online platforms.

 

Advertising or promoting cannabis for recreational use or in a manner encouraging inappropriate consumption.

 

 

Sale of cannabis is prohibited near the following places:

 

Educational institutions of all levels,

 

Dormitories,

 

Religious places,

 

Public parks or amusement parks.

 

 

The use of cannabis for recreational purposes is strictly prohibited. Individuals must not smoke or consume cannabis in public areas, temples, schools, or other locations that could cause disturbance to the public. Violations are subject to penalties as prescribed by law.

 

To promote health and prevent misuse, the Ministry of Public Health urges the public to use cannabis only under medical supervision or as allowed by law.

 

Effective Date:

 

This announcement shall be in effect from the date of its publication in the Royal Gazette.

 

Announced on the 11th of June, B.E. 2567 (2024)

 

[Signed]

 

Cholnan Srikaew

Minister of Public Health

[RSD1]

Saw these:

 

https://www.itv.com/news/2025-06-24/thailand-to-ban-recreational-cannabis-three-years-after-decriminalisation

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thailand-set-to-make-non-medical-weed-illegal-again-after-political-turmoil

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/3056840/somsak-signs-order-requiring-doctors-prescription-for-cannabis

 

 

[novacova]

1 hour ago, blaze master said:

If anyone can read this and give a good translation it would be appreciated.

“Ministry of Public Health Announcement

 

Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) Act B.E. 25

 

Whereas it is appropriate to amend the Ministry of Public Health Announcement on Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) B.E. 2505 dated November 11, B.E. 2565, which stipulates cannabis as a controlled herb that is valuable for study or research or economically important, to be appropriate for the current situation, in addition to the fact that currently there is no law to specifically control it to prevent its use for purposes other than its intended purpose. Therefore, there should be controls to prevent the use of cannabis, especially the inflorescence, for purposes other than the intended use of the said herb.

 

By virtue of the powers under Section 4, paragraph one of the Act on the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom B.E. 2542 (1999), the Minister of Public Health, with the advice of the Committee on the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom, hereby issues the following announcement:

 

Section 1 This announcement shall come into force from the day following the date of its publication in the Government Gazette onwards.

 

Section 2. The Ministry of Public Health's announcement on controlled herbs (cannabis) B.E. dated 11 November B.E. 2555 shall be repealed.

 

Section 3. Cannabis, which is a plant in the Cannabis genus, Cannabaceae family, cultivated from the inflorescence, is a controlled herb.

 

Section 4. Anyone who wishes to study, research, export, sell or process controlled herbs for commercial purposes may do so only after receiving a license under Section 16, and the licensee must comply with the following requirements:

 

(3) A licensee to study, research, export, sell or process controlled herbs for trade must compile information about the source, use and quantity kept at the business premises and report that information to the registrar in the form announced by the Director-General.

 

(2) A licensee to export controlled herbs for trade must notify the exporter of the details of each export on a case-by-case basis in the form announced by the Director-General.

 

(3) A licensee to sell or process controlled herbs for trade must sell controlled herbs only to licensees under Section 456.

 

(4) The distribution and export of controlled herbs by a licensee must come from a source that has been certified for good cultivation and harvesting standards by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine.

 

(5) It is prohibited to sell controlled herbs for smoking in the business premises, except for sales by medical practitioners under the Medical Profession Act, Thai Traditional Medicine practitioners, Applied Thai Traditional Medicine practitioners, and folk doctors under the Thai Traditional Medicine Profession Act.

 

(6) It is prohibited to sell controlled herbs or products processed from controlled herbs for trade

 

through vending machines, electronic channels or computer networks. (el) It is prohibited to advertise controlled herbs in all channels for trade.

 

(id) It is prohibited to sell controlled herbs or products processed from controlled herbs for trade

 

in the following places:

 

(n) Temples or places for religious ceremonies.

 

(8) Dormitories according to the law on accommodation.

 

(c) Public parks, zoos and amusement parks.

The sale of controlled herbs for trade according to paragraph one (a) does not include the sale of controlled herbs to any person with a prescription from a medical practitioner according to the law on the profession.

 

Physicians, practitioners of Thai traditional medicine, practitioners of applied Thai traditional medicine,

 

and village doctors according to the law on Thai traditional medicine, practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine. Under the law on the practice of medicine, the practitioner of the medical profession under the law on the sale of medicines

and the practitioner of the medical profession under the law on the practice of medicine for medical purposes

The prescription according to the paragraph shall specify the amount or quantity of use as necessary for the treatment

specifically, which shall not exceed thirty days

Section 2 The licensee under the section of the National Health Security Office before the effective date of the specific part that

is a controlled herb under this announcement must comply with the conditions specified in the section of this announcement

Section 5 The report form, the form of notification of details of the export of controlled herbs per time

and the form of the prescription shall be in accordance with the form specified by the NBTC

Announcement on 27 June 2025

(Mr. Somsak Thepsuhin)

Minister of Public Health”

[novacova]

59 minutes ago, indyo said:

Ministry of Public Health Announcement

Subject: Narcotic Substance (Cannabis) B.E. 2567 (2024)

A bit dated 

[zzzzz]

In english:
Somsak declares 'cannabis' will definitely return to being a narcotic. Points out that applying for-renewing licenses requires additional ministerial regulations.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin on Tuesday insists that in the future, 'cannabis' will definitely return to being a narcotic. He states that applying for or renewing licenses will require a new ministerial regulation. He sees the passage of the Cannabis Control Act within this government's term as a goal and denies that the crackdown on cannabis is politically motivated.
Somsak spoke at the Government House about the policy to relist cannabis as narcotic. He said that in the future, it should return to being a narcotic because there are still many "loose ends" from past actions. For example, the declaration of cannabis as a controlled herb under the Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Protection Act allowed for the establishment of cannabis shops, harvesting, and other related activities, but never mentioned medical operations.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra instructed him and the Prime Minister's advisors to hold a meeting on May 14, 2025, to discuss how to ensure that cannabis will be allowed for medical purposes only. After that, public opinions were gathered from May 22 to June 10 and the public accepted this approach.
Somsak stated that yesterday (June 23), he signed an announcement limiting cannabis to medical use only. People wishing to purchase cannabis must have a doctor's prescription and a medical certificate indicating their illness.
Regarding licenses for new operators who apply for or renew licenses, he will need to draft a new ministerial regulation, including a requirement for a doctor to be present at the shop. If inspections are conducted monthly and violations occur twice, the license will be revoked.
When asked whether the Bhumjaithai Party's push for the Cannabis Control Act would be timely during this government's term, Somsak said it was a "dream." He explained that if one looks closely, this law stems from the Narcotics Code, which was submitted for consideration and became part of the Narcotics Code around November 2021.
Section 29 indicates that two types of narcotics under Category 5, kratom and cannabis, were removed from the law, giving the Minister of Public Health the authority to make declarations after consulting with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB). At that time, a Deputy Prime Minister chaired the ONCB. Therefore, when cannabis was no longer in Category 5 narcotics, a law should have been completed within 120 days according to the ONCB's opinion, but this did not happen, and tens of thousands of shops emerged because the law had not been fully declared at that time.
Furthermore, the Medical Protection Act was unclear, yet it permitted buying, selling, and cultivation. This was the true intention – political rhetoric that said it would be for medical use, but it wasn't written into the Ministry of Public Health's control. He said he had clarified this with the government and was assigned to resolve it within 45 days.
Regarding the crackdown on cannabis coinciding with the Bhumjaithai Party's withdrawal from the coalition government, which has been linked to a political game targeting Bhumjaithai, Somsak stated that it was not. He explained that this is a chronic problem, and they have received many complaints, especially during the government of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. He reiterated their efforts to make cannabis a narcotic, and today it is successfully a strictly controlled herb for medical use, but in the future, it will be a narcotic.
When pressed on earlier observations that the Ministry of Public Health, from the era of Dr Cholnan Srikaew (former Public Health Minister) to the present, 


Updtaes

More details have emerged about the public health minister's new regulation on the sale and use of cannabis products, which include prohibiting smoking inside cannabis shops unless under medical supervision.

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed the new regulation on Tuesday. All consumer purchases will require a medical prescription.

The new controls will take effect a day after they are published in the Royal Gazette.

The order requires all parties wanting to study, export, sell or process cannabis buds for commercial purposes to have the proper licences.

They must have and report data on the source, use and amount of cannabis in their possession.

The new regulation prohibits the sale of cannabis for smoking in cannabis business premises, unless under the supervision of professionals with relevant medical certificates, including practitioners of traditional Thai and Chinese medicine and dentists, for the treatment of their patients who have prescriptions.

The amount of cannabis sold is limited to 30 days’ use.

The new order prohibits the sale of cannabis products through vending machines, electronic channels and computer networks. It also bans their advertising on all channels.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3057547/new-cannabis-controls-also-ban-most-smoking-in-shops. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post PCL. All rights reserved.

ahhh well lets whats required for a medical card an whats required

I have back problems and insomnia.  that was good enough to get a med card in Ca.

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, zzzzz said:

He explained that this is a chronic problem

 

Snoop Dogg would agree... 

[RSD1]

I picked up some more supply today from the retail shop I usually buy from. Business as usual. They were a bit busy while I was there, so I didn’t get a chance to really chat like I normally would. But I did briefly ask if they’d seen that new document from the health ministry. One of them said, “Yeah, we’ve seen it. It’s going to require doctor’s notes,” and that was it. End of discussion. They didn’t seem too concerned, and I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I dropped it after that. I’m not even sure if they’ll end up requiring doctor’s notes for their regular customers in the future or not.

[blaze master]

2 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

I picked up some more supply today from the retail shop I usually buy from. Business as usual. They were a bit busy while I was there, so I didn’t get a chance to really chat like I normally would. But I did briefly ask if they’d seen that new document from the health ministry. One of them said, “Yeah, we’ve seen it. It’s going to require doctor’s notes,” and that was it. End of discussion. They didn’t seem too concerned. I’m not even sure if they’ll end up requiring doctor’s notes for their regular customers in the future or not.

 

Channel 8 CNN and Al Jazeera were in BKK making rounds to some shops asking questions and doing interviews. A bunch of shops were also visited by police and ministry of health to make sure they were operating with licenses etc.

 

I haven't heard much more than that.

[Captain Flack]

Bickering posts removed.

 

@Bert got kinky if you use the report button, don’t then continue replying to the reported posts and further deflecting by calling others trolls.

[RSD1]

28 minutes ago, blaze master said:

 

Channel 8 CNN and Al Jazeera were in BKK making rounds to some shops asking questions and doing interviews. A bunch of shops were also visited by police and ministry of health to make sure they were operating with licenses etc.

 

I haven't heard much more than that.

These visits were conducted when? Assume just in Sukhumvit area in Bangkok? 
 

Anyway, as far as I know, nothing has officially changed yet since the new restrictions from the health ministry haven’t been published in the gazette. So for now, I wouldn’t expect stores or shops to change the way they’re doing business.

[blaze master]

15 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

These visits were conducted when? Assume just in Sukhumvit area in Bangkok? 
 

Anyway, as far as I know, nothing has officially changed yet since the new restrictions from the health ministry haven’t been published in the gazette. So for now, I wouldn’t expect stores or shops to change the way they’re doing business.

 

Visits were yesterday and today. Shops owners were talking about it in our group. 

 

Seems a lot of people are scrambling to find a doctor or Thai traditional medicine person. Lets see how this plays out.

[blaze master]

Here is the latest info I have.

 

 

[RSD1]

7 minutes ago, blaze master said:

Here is the latest info I have.

 

 

Unfortunately, the resolution of the file is to low to be able to read the text. Can you either copy and paste the text in Thai into a post or just summarize anything important that's different from what they published before?
 

And is this something that was published in the gazette or is this just another letter from the health minister?

[blaze master]

8 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Unfortunately, the resolution of the file is to low to be able to read the text. Can you either copy and paste the text in Thai into a post or just summarize anything important that's different from what they published before?
 

And is this something that was published in the gazette or is this just another letter from the health minister?

 

I cant read thai i only speak it. Let me see what I can do to get better quality.

 

Does this work ?

 

https://ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/documents/76076.pdf

[zzzzz]

spoke with my supplier (farm)  Via messenger.
he said they are fully licensed and legal but once the law goes into effect ( "The new rules will come into effect once they are published in the Royal Gazette, which could happen within days")
They cant sell with out the buyer supplying a medical certificate
so far NO IDEA where or how to get such certificate 

[bamnutsak]

On 6/24/2025 at 8:43 PM, indyo said:

Announced on the 11th of June, B.E. 2567 (2024)

 

[Signed]

 

Cholnan Srikaew

Minister of Public Health

 

 

FWIW this person is no longer Minister of Health, he caught a stray in the last reshuffle.

 

Somsak Thepsuthin is the current Minister of Public Health.

 

Given the dates and error I'm not sure this document/translation is accurate?

[RSD1]

1 hour ago, blaze master said:

 

I cant read thai i only speak it. Let me see what I can do to get better quality.

 

Does this work ?

 

https://ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/documents/76076.pdf

Thanks, yes, the link worked perfectly. Looks like this was published in the Gazette. Here is a summary of the key points of that document in English. It doesn't say anything about medical use only or requiring a doctors certificate to buy it or consume it. It does say people buying it for medical use are limited to a 30 day supply, but it doesn't say how much that amounts to either. 

 

This document is an official announcement from the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, published in the Royal Gazette on June 25, 2025 (B.E. 2568). Titled “Controlled Herbal Medicine (Cannabis) B.E. 2568,” it updates the previous 2022 announcement regarding the classification of cannabis as a controlled herbal medicine.

 

The key points include:

 

•  Cannabis, specifically its flower parts, is designated as a controlled herbal medicine.

•  Activities such as research, export, sale, or commercial processing of cannabis require a license under strict conditions, including detailed reporting on sources, usage, and quantities.

•  Sales are restricted to licensed entities, with prohibitions on selling for smoking (except by specific healthcare professionals for treatment), through vending machines or online platforms, and in places like temples, dormitories, parks, zoos, and amusement parks.

•  Advertising of cannabis for commercial purposes is banned.

•  Licensed activities must adhere to certified cultivation and harvesting standards, and prescriptions for medical use are limited to a 30-day supply.

 

The announcement, signed by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin on June 23, 2025, takes effect the day after its publication and replaces the 2022 regulation.

 

 

[RSD1]

Updated Conclusion:

•  The document does not use the exact phrase “cannabis can only be consumed for medical use,” but the combination of the 30-day prescription limit for medical purposes, the ban on smoking except for treatment, and the extensive restrictions on sales and advertising effectively restricts its use to medical and research contexts. Recreational use appears to be implicitly prohibited rather than explicitly stated as such.

•  A doctor’s certificate (prescription) is required for individuals to purchase cannabis for medical use, as outlined in Clause 4 (last paragraph), but the document primarily regulates licensed entities rather than mandating this for all purchases.

[blaze master]

3 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Thanks, yes, the link worked perfectly. Looks like this was published in the Gazette. Here is a summary of the key points of that document in English. It doesn't say anything about medical use only or requiring a doctors certificate to buy it or consume it. It does say people buying it for medical use is limited to a 30 day supply, but it doesn't say how much that amounts to.

 

This document is an official announcement from the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, published in the Royal Gazette on June 25, 2025 (B.E. 2568). Titled “Controlled Herbal Medicine (Cannabis) B.E. 2568,” it updates the previous 2022 announcement regarding the classification of cannabis as a controlled herbal medicine.

 

The key points include:

 

•  Cannabis, specifically its flower parts, is designated as a controlled herbal medicine.

•  Activities such as research, export, sale, or commercial processing of cannabis require a license under strict conditions, including detailed reporting on sources, usage, and quantities.

•  Sales are restricted to licensed entities, with prohibitions on selling for smoking (except by specific healthcare professionals for treatment), through vending machines or online platforms, and in places like temples, dormitories, parks, zoos, and amusement parks.

•  Advertising of cannabis for commercial purposes is banned.

•  Licensed activities must adhere to certified cultivation and harvesting standards, and prescriptions for medical use are limited to a 30-day supply.

 

The announcement, signed by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin on June 23, 2025, takes effect the day after its publication and replaces the 2022 regulation.

 

 

 

So my original post was right. I only had that document at the time and hersay from my group. 

 

If published in the gazette then the new laws are already in effect.

 

Thanks for translation. 

[RSD1]

Has cannabis been re-classified as a narcotic?

 

The provided document, titled “Controlled Herbal Medicine (Cannabis) B.E. 2568,” does not mention the reclassification of cannabis as a narcotic. Instead, it focuses on regulating cannabis, specifically its flower parts, as a controlled herbal medicine under the framework of the Pharmaceutical Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and related regulations.
 

Here are the key points relevant to your question:

 

•  The document updates the previous 2022 announcement (“Controlled Herbal Medicine (Cannabis) B.E. 2565”) and designates cannabis flower parts as a smunphai khapkhum (สมุนไพรควบคุม), or controlled herbal medicine, rather than reclassifying it as a narcotic.

•  The authority for this regulation is derived from Sections 4, 44, and 45 (3), (4), (5), and (6) of the Act for the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine B.E. 2542, which deals with herbal medicines and their controlled use, not the narcotic classification under the Narcotics Control Act B.E. 2522 (1979) or its amendments.

•  The intent, as stated in the preamble, is to adjust regulations to prevent misuse, support research and economic benefits, and align with current circumstances, without any reference to shifting cannabis into the narcotic category.

 

Conclusion:

There is no indication in this document that cannabis is being reclassified as a narcotic. It remains categorized as a controlled herbal medicine, with strict regulations on its use, sale, and distribution, primarily for medical and research purposes. If a reclassification to a narcotic status were intended, it would likely involve a different legal framework (e.g., the Narcotics Control Act) and explicit language, which is absent here.

[RSD1]

1 minute ago, blaze master said:

 

So my original post was right. I only had that document at the time and hersay from my group. 

 

If published in the gazette then the new laws are already in effect.

 

Thanks for translation. 

 

Yes, that’s correct, it seems the new laws already took effect as of yesterday in the Gazette. However, based on this document alone, it doesn’t appear that cannabis has been reclassified as a criminal narcotic. So, for now, it doesn’t seem like possession is a criminal offense in the way it used to be. That said, a separate ruling from the Narcotics Board could still be forthcoming, since the classification of controlled substances isn’t handled by the Public Health Ministry, as far as I know.

 

From the way this reads, most of the regulatory pressure will likely fall on sellers rather than buyers. At this point, it doesn’t seem like simply possessing cannabis is now suddenly a crime. Hence, the issue would arise for sellers who distribute it without a prescription. That’s how it sounds for now. Of course, smoking it in public might be a bigger problem than it already was before since that would also fall under recreational use, which is now technically prohibited.

[bamnutsak]

7 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

There is no indication in this document that cannabis is being reclassified as a narcotic.

 

Yes, that seems correct but...

 

Somsak Thepsuthin, the Minister of Public Health is quoted in many sources as saying that Cannabis Flower will be added back to the Cat 5 Narcotics List.

"Cannabis will be classified as a narcotic in the future," Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said on Tuesday. Three years ago, Thailand became one of the first countries in Asia to decriminalise the recreational use of cannabis, but without any comprehensive rules to govern the sector.

 

 

Now I see him adding a caveat...saying Cannabis Flower will be reclassified as a Cat 5 Narcotic "within 45 days".

 

 

So to me this Gazetted document merely adds to the current regulations.

 

 

 

 

[blaze master]

3 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

 

Yes, that’s correct, it seems the new laws already took effect as of yesterday in the Gazette. However, based on this document alone, it doesn’t appear that cannabis has been reclassified as a criminal narcotic. So, for now, it doesn’t seem like possession is a criminal offense in the way it used to be. That said, a separate ruling from the Narcotics Board could still be forthcoming, since the classification of controlled substances isn’t handled by the Public Health Ministry, as far as I know.

 

From the way this reads, most of the regulatory pressure will likely fall on sellers rather than buyers. At this point, it doesn’t seem like simply possessing cannabis is now suddenly a crime. Hence, the issue would arise for sellers who distribute it without a prescription. That’s how it sounds for now. Of course, smoking it in public might be a bigger problem than it already was before since that would also fall under recreational use, which is now technically prohibited.

 

From my group.

 

Smoke rooms not allowed unless there is a doctor on site.

Patients require doctors note.

You can only purchase 30 days worth.

If asked you'll need to provide evidence to authorities.

Only authorized seeds to be used for production.

Only gacp farms will be able to sell.

 

And if this one is true it will break many people's heart......

 

But home grows will be no more.

 

Take all these with a grain of salt but thats what im hearing.