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Thai Health Ministry Tightens Cannabis Rules in Thailand

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8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Sheer ignorance. Pot should be legal worldwide. It harms nobody, unless you count poor memory and lack of ambition as great offenses against the nation.

Illegal by who's definition? A corrupt, illegal government that is completely out of step with a changing world? Pot does little harm to anyone. The biggest risk is the the user will lose his ambition. Compared to alcohol the detriment to society is minuscule. The only reason why ganga is illegal in Thailand is due to the fact that legalization would make the police franchises less valuable. That is it. It ends there. This has nothing whatsoever to do with morality or character development. Quite the contrary. And to lump a pot smoker into the same category as a heroin addict is just plain old ridiculous and ignorant of the facts.

This is a historic mistake on the part of this ridiculous government, the approval of ganja as a commodity was a was a wise thing to do, liberalization means forward progress, and now they are moving the country backwards once again. Many Thai people invested billions upon billions of baht with the presumption that they could trust the government in keeping their promises. And now they're being financially crippled, by trusting these nitwits. And all this is happening at a time when there's already so much financial hardship in the country

All I can say is, I hope these politicians end up suffering a terrible fate.

I use all the time but stating it doesn't hurt anybody is silly. It hurts many and I have seen this first hand often enough. Drugs are not healthy if used without control. Some can and some can't.

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4 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

you are talking rubbish as usual I don't live in a bubble and I know plenty of Thais Some smoke it , some don't, many are police none are vocally opposed to it ,

"Drug tourism" presumably by that you mean people enjoying a relaxing smoke whilst on holiday, well from what I have seen of that, it certainly seems to cause considerably less issues than alcohol tourism and involves more than a minority

If you think the lack of vocalisation by Thai people is indicative of their acceptance, you either haven't been here long, or you're stoned.

The traditional Thai way is of non-confrontation, and acquiescence, and non-interference, and up-to-you, and jai-yenyen. They don't get all shouty at much of anything. They don't even beep their bloody car horns.

5 minutes ago, atpeace said:

I use all the time but stating it doesn't hurt anybody is silly. It hurts many and I have seen this first hand often enough. Drugs are not healthy if used without control. Some can and some can't.

Good point, well made. For some, ganja isn't all about getting the giggles and the munchies.

39 minutes ago, candide said:

Isn't oil from licensed cannabis clinics limited to 0.2% THC?

I don't think so. On the link below, you can see a medical clinic that specializes in legal medical use cannabis and oils and they are advertising a mixed THC and CBD oil blend. They don't give percentages, but I'm sure the oil has a THC content higher than that or it would not be labeled as having THC.

The box in the photo says 13mg per ML, which isn't very high, but it's reasonable.

https://www.thaikanya.com/product/30092/thc-cbd-cannabis-oil-consultation-doctor-only-medical-cannabis-with-thai-herbal-oil

48 minutes ago, candide said:

What about other edibles, such as cannabis toffees? It's relatively easy to prepare. Do you think they would check that too?

I really don’t know anything about edibles, I’m sorry. However, I still think there is a low risk of enforcement on any of this stuff. I was only outlining the legal issues as they currently stand. If someone were caught with a bottle of illegally homemade cannabis oil containing high levels of THC, the person could even argue that it is oil only containing CBD, and then the authorities would need to send it to a lab for testing to see if it contains THC and how much. In reality, would that happen? Probably not.

Most people would only even run into problems with any of this stuff at all if they were already being arrested for another offense, and officers then found illegal substances in their possession which could be added to the arrest as additional charges.

Personally I wouldn't even take the risk, but the risk is seemingly rather small for those who want to.

In addition to this being a huge mistake based on astonishing levels of ignorance on the part of dumb and non visionary government officials, this is also an incredible betrayal of the Thai people who invested billions in the industry counting on the government to maintain consistent policy and support.

7 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What is illegal about the Thai government?

Everything from hiring and promotion policies, to rigged elections, vote buying, and extensive corruption throughout all levels of government. Lock them all up.

my friend has a two location weed store in thai areas

he said its all the usual thai government paperwork and doesnt cause him any problems.

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Generally speaking, the sooner these places all get shuttered the better. Cleaner air and the disruptive public acts of idiocy and violence due to cannabis psychosis will vanish as quickly as they started.

You're welcome.

I see you re watched reefer madness this morning. Well done.

12 minutes ago, BilllyGOAT said:

The figure I gave came from the study on the following link:

https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jhsmr/article/view/275549

I do not say your number is wrong. I am simply pointing to the escalation among young smokers after cannabis was decriminalised. And if the number is true, is that not a red flag in itself?

10% need cannabis for medical use? Mental health issues are already around 10% worldwide, and we know cannabis can affect mental health in people who are vulnerable and sensitive to the side effects of strong THC. The intention was medical use, not open recreational use and not public smoking everywhere. The mistake was not only decriminalisation itself, but how poorly it was handled afterwards. The government and police failed to make sure it was regulated as intended from day one.

3 hours ago, atpeace said:

I use all the time but stating it doesn't hurt anybody is silly. It hurts many and I have seen this first hand often enough. Drugs are not healthy if used without control. Some can and some can't.

Most people who enjoy a few glasses of wine now and then, or an occasional beer, and have had positive experiences with alcohol, should not let that stop them from seeing the whole picture.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Everything from hiring and promotion policies, to rigged elections, vote buying, and extensive corruption throughout all levels of government. Lock them all up.

Thanks for confirming that the Thai government is not "an illegal government". Having said that, if your characterisation of an illegal government was in fact true, then your own government and previous governments would also be/have been illegal and they also "should all be locked up", not just the Thai government, yes?

5 hours ago, BilllyGOAT said:

I agree, it’s arbitrary when most of these laws seem so ridiculous to begin with.

Anyway, there are a couple of things that you could do if you feel concerned. You could get your cannabis oil from a licensed cannabis clinic.

The other option, which falls into another gray area, would be to switch to using a small battery powered device called a dry herb vaporizer which utilizes regular cannabis flower to create the vapors. This way you would not be smoking the cannabis or damaging your lungs either, just inhaling the vapors. The benefit is you would also feel the effects from it immediately. No waiting time.

The problem is that dry herb vaporizer machines are technically illegal because they fall into the same category as all the illegal vapes that use capsules that contain oils, flavorings, nicotine, and other harmful substances. But the difference is that possession of a dry herb vaporizer device would most likely result in a fine at worst, whereas possession of homemade oil is a different category that puts you in possession of an illegal narcotic and could also be treated as self manufacturing a controlled and illegal substance.

What about the possession of a "cannabis" vape that more often than not, or even always, contains no cannabis but only synthetic cannabinoids?

8 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

What makes you think that the anti-cannabis lobby is the minority of the public?

Its so simple really I can't believe you needed to ask me . The real question is what makes you think otherwise ? There are around 70 million people in Thailand if there are less than 35 million in the ant cannabis lobby then they are in the minority The last anti cannabis petition amounted to 200,000 signatures in my book that is a minority

How many members does Asean now have ? "how many reefer madness" idiots regularly make their annoying presence known on all the threads in the cannabis forum ? similar story some are for it, some are against it, most don't care

"Its so simple really I can't believe you needed to ask me".

So, if it's is so simple then give the specifics of your evidence that the anti-cannabis lobby is the minority. Your hypotheticals and "ifs" are just that, hypotheticals, they are not evidence, neither is your example of a 200,000 person petition - how many people were presented with that petition to sign, 70,000,000?

"There are around 70 million people in Thailand if there are less than 35 million in the ant cannabis lobby then they are in the minority".

Using your specious logic, there are around 70 million people in Thailand if there are less than 35 million in the pro-cannabis lobby then they are in the minority!

19 minutes ago, JackGats said:

What about the possession of a "cannabis" vape that more often than not, or even always, contains no cannabis but only synthetic cannabinoids?

I think the only reason the dry herb cannabis vapes I mentioned earlier fall into the illegal category is that Thailand uses a very broad definition of a vaporizer. If it is a battery powered device that heats a substance and produces vapor for inhalation, it is generally treated as an illegal vaping device.

That said, your question concerns a cannabis vape containing synthetic cannabinoids. That is the type of product that would be clearly illegal. There are two reasons for this.

First, it is a conventional vape product that uses a cartridge containing liquid or oil, which falls within the category of prohibited vaping devices. It's not just a device being used to heat up natural cannabis flower anymore.

Second, cannabis vape products, whether they contain natural cannabis extracts or synthetic cannabinoids, are typically treated as cannabis extracts. Cannabis extracts (unless administered by a doctor) remain classified as Category 5 narcotics under Thai law.

Indonesia actually has very strict laws on this and an Australian woman just got caught with some cannabis vapes in Indonesia that she received in the post last month. They contained a total of about 50ml of vape oil and now she's staring at a possible 20 year jail sentence:

https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/australian-woman-53-facing-20-years-jail-after-arrest-in-indonesia-over-alleged-cannabis-vape-possession/news-story/0f73a6107f6804af39411bdbb00aa6bf

41 minutes ago, JackGats said:

What about the possession of a "cannabis" vape that more often than not, or even always, contains no cannabis but only synthetic cannabinoids?

Do you know of any cases in thailand of synthetic cannabinoids being used in vapes. Im curious.

16 minutes ago, blaze master said:

Do you know of any cases in thailand of synthetic cannabinoids being used in vapes. Im curious.

I think he's probably referring to ones like Fryd, Packman, Muha Meds, Jeeter Juice, and Cake. Lots of those type floating around. Most are counterfeits made in China. Dangerous too. No idea what's being put into them.

2 minutes ago, BilllyGOAT said:

I think he's probably referring to ones like Fryd, Packman, Muha Meds, Jeeter Juice, and Cake. Lots of those type floating around. Most are counterfeits made in China. Dangerous too. No idea what's being put into them.

I haven't heard about synthetic cannabiniods only terps.

Most likely they are filled with a concentrate diluted with either pg or vg. The same stuff they use in cig vapes.

Vitamin e acetate was the big issue before in fake vapes in usa and canada.

8 minutes ago, blaze master said:

I haven't heard about synthetic cannabiniods only terps.

Most likely they are filled with a concentrate diluted with either pg or vg. The same stuff they use in cig vapes.

Vitamin e acetate was the big issue before in fake vapes in usa and canada.

Interesting. I don't really know much about what goes into them. But, yeah, you wouldn't want to be inhaling vitamin e oil vapors.

There was just another big bust of a cig vape factory about 2 weeks ago in Thailand. Was a sizable operation I think. No idea what chemicals they were putting in them or which brand they were counterfeiting, but none of it can be good:

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40067235

8 hours ago, BilllyGOAT said:

At least 7 million Thais, which is 10% (or more) of the Thai population now uses it. That's not a small number.

So 10% of the local population needs a crutch as well?

Thanks for sharing.

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

In addition to this being a huge mistake based on astonishing levels of ignorance on the part of dumb and non visionary government officials, this is also an incredible betrayal of the Thai people who invested billions in the industry counting on the government to maintain consistent policy and support.

Betrayal? By a politician? In a country where politicians change their allegiances more often than their underwear? There are suckers born every minute.

And some of them obviously do inhale.

19 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

These regulations are clearly intended to appease the vocal anti cannabis minority.

Was there a vote or referendum on this?

If there are so few of them I am surprised they bother!

9 hours ago, JackGats said:

What about the possession of a "cannabis" vape that more often than not, or even always, contains no cannabis but only synthetic cannabinoids?

Are you sure ? synthetic cannabis is also known as spice and its effects are profound to say the least. I have never heard of it being available in vapes, anywhere certainly not here.

Anyway It would obviously be illegal, firstly its a vape, and secondly it will contain more than 0.2% THC

9 hours ago, Hummin said:

Most people who enjoy a few glasses of wine now and then, or an occasional beer, and have had positive experiences with alcohol, should not let that stop them from seeing the whole picture.

9 hours ago, Hummin said:

So few know the whole picture because they rely on what the doc tells them. How many times have you heard online not to take the advice of what people tell you online or your own research. Literally around 1000 times for me :) The stupidest advice that may have ever been uttered.

Know your health stats and how to alter them. Depending on meds and doctors is ludicrous. Time and place for everything but depending on doctors is insanely unhealthy. How many times do you hear someone telling you that diabetes just appeared one day? No it appeared as a risk factor probably decades prior to your doc telling you it was a concern.

9 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Its so simple really I can't believe you needed to ask me".

So, if it's is so simple then give the specifics of your evidence that the anti-cannabis lobby is the minority. Your hypotheticals and "ifs" are just that, hypotheticals, they are not evidence, neither is your example of a 200,000 person petition - how many people were presented with that petition to sign, 70,000,000?

"There are around 70 million people in Thailand if there are less than 35 million in the ant cannabis lobby then they are in the minority".

Using your specious logic, there are around 70 million people in Thailand if there are less than 35 million in the pro-cannabis lobby then they are in the minority!

Indeed , cannabis smokers and the pro cannabis lobby are also in the minority, I never suggested otherwise , my point is that the majority of people have no strong views one way, or the other,

You want some evidence? To be honest I don't really care what you think and as a result I can't be arsed But.....

Just look at the responses to the cannabis threads on this forum, the same handful of moaning individuals, hijacking threads and voicing their opposition to cannabis use by others , and around the same number of regular users rising to the taunts and insisting on their right to smoke Rarely more than half a dozen on either side . The majority of members clearly don't bother posting at all ,because , surprise surprise they don't care enough one way or the other to bother. That is my point

How many people signed one petition is, as you imply , indeed irrelevant but what is very relevant , is that there was only one petition ! If the anti cannabis sentiment was at the level you claim there would have been countless petitions one for every province, every amphur even , and that was not the case

There would have been and would still be marches , demonstrations and events promoting the continuation of prohibition , yet the only public event related to cannabis was and is the pro cannabis 420 rally. Even after legalisation , people were not gathering in crowds to oppose cannabis use they were queing up to get their cannabis plants lol

Perhaps you could use some of your "specious logic" to prove me wrong, but as I couldn't care less its up to you

1 hour ago, atpeace said:

So few know the whole picture because they rely on what the doc tells them. How many times have you heard online not to take the advice of what people tell you online or your own research. Literally around 1000 times for me :) The stupidest advice that may have ever been uttered.

Know your health stats and how to alter them. Depending on meds and doctors is ludicrous. Time and place for everything but depending on doctors is insanely unhealthy. How many times do you hear someone telling you that diabetes just appeared one day? No it appeared as a risk factor probably decades prior to your doc telling you it was a concern.

Most problems do not appear overnight. Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, liver issues, and many lifestyle related problems usually build over years before they become a diagnosis.

I also believe much of it is rooted in culture, learned habits, social habits, lack of awareness, and routines that become normal over time. Many people see the warning signs long before the diagnosis, but keep overlooking them until the problem becomes too obvious to ignore.

I do not like the nanny state either, and in principle adults should have freedom. But most people who are concerned about the side effects understand that unrestricted access does not work in the real world. The impact on vulnerable people and younger generations will be unhealthy, and the cost to society will be high. Taxpayers rarely enjoy paying for problems other people create and leave for others to cover.

41 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Indeed , cannabis smokers and the pro cannabis lobby are also in the minority, I never suggested otherwise , my point is that the majority of people have no strong views one way, or the other,

You want some evidence? To be honest I don't really care what you think and as a result I can't be arsed But.....

Just look at the responses to the cannabis threads on this forum, the same handful of moaning individuals, hijacking threads and voicing their opposition to cannabis use by others , and around the same number of regular users rising to the taunts and insisting on their right to smoke Rarely more than half a dozen on either side . The majority of members clearly don't bother posting at all ,because , surprise surprise they don't care enough one way or the other to bother. That is my point

How many people signed one petition is, as you imply , indeed irrelevant but what is very relevant , is that there was only one petition ! If the anti cannabis sentiment was at the level you claim there would have been countless petitions one for every province, every amphur even , and that was not the case

There would have been and would still be marches , demonstrations and events promoting the continuation of prohibition , yet the only public event related to cannabis was and is the pro cannabis 420 rally. Even after legalisation , people were not gathering in crowds to oppose cannabis use they were queing up to get their cannabis plants lol

Perhaps you could use some of your "specious logic" to prove me wrong, but as I couldn't care less its up to you

Calling 200,000 signatures insignificant is not how I see it. Rarely do you see that many signatures gathered around one specific issue. A lot less is usually enough to get government attention. This campaign also involved doctors, academics, youth organisations, and public advocates.

The concern was not standing alone either. In 2024, a government survey found that at least 80% of 111,201 respondents supported reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic to prohibit recreational use.

https://time.com/6992859/thailand-cannabis-criminalization-public-survey/

20 hours ago, vangrop said:

What were the Thai authorities thinking when they decided to legalize cannabis, etc., for medicinal purposes? Everyone knew that behind the scenes, much more harmful offshoots like amphetamines would be distributed. You didn't have to be a prophet to predict that this policy would act like a super magnet, attracting drug addicts from all over the world. So, as they say in Thai, sum nam na

I have seen no reported increase in amphetamine use as a consequence of the legalisation of weed , Why would there be amphetamines are not what those who smoke cannabis are looking for,

4 hours ago, Hummin said:

Calling 200,000 signatures insignificant is not how I see it. Rarely do you see that many signatures gathered around one specific issue. A lot less is usually enough to get government attention. This campaign also involved doctors, academics, youth organisations, and public advocates.

The concern was not standing alone either. In 2024, a government survey found that at least 80% of 111,201 respondents supported reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic to prohibit recreational use.

https://time.com/6992859/thailand-cannabis-criminalization-public-survey/

It would be just as easy and equally meaningless to generate 200,000 signatures from people who wish to ban alcohol, including a few Doctors , and of course the all important "youth organisations" and "public advocates" ( where would we be without them ) lol

On 6/23/2026 at 3:30 AM, wil iam not said:

Why is Smoking cannabis the only suggestions here. It is so easy to make your own oil, 2 or 3 drops is better than a joint, less smelly, easier to administer, but of course, takes a bit longer to start the effect.

On 6/23/2026 at 3:30 AM, wil iam not said:

Why is Smoking cannabis the only suggestions here. It is so easy to make your own oil, 2 or 3 drops is better than a joint, less smelly, easier to administer, but of course, takes a bit longer to start the effect.

"breastfeeding mothers without a valid prescription"

How will be determined if a woman is breastfeeding a baby if she walks in a cannabis shop without the baby?

Whoever wrote this pearl of nonsense should really get an award!

15 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

I have seen no reported increase in amphetamine use as a consequence of the legalisation of weed , Why would there be amphetamines are not what those who smoke cannabis are looking for,

I have seen regular media reports from Thailand about yaba, synthetic drugs, cocaine, heroin, ketamine, and other drugs being confiscated, along with raids on drug parties and trafficking networks.

It also looks like drug crime is growing harder and more organised around the region, especially with the Golden Triangle and Myanmar situation feeding more drugs into Thailand.

31 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I have seen regular media reports from Thailand about yaba, synthetic drugs, cocaine, heroin, ketamine, and other drugs being confiscated, along with raids on drug parties and trafficking networks.

I have seen regular reports of drug use since I first came here 30 years ago, In Thailand and in most other countries. It's nothing new I certainly don't lose any sleep over it . It will never be stopped by legislation

All crime is growing harder, its a sign of the times, well that's not strictly true to be honest, armed robbery of banks and security vans seems a lot less common these days, I think its been replaced by cyber crime, sawn off shotguns, knives and koshes have been replaced by a mouse a modem and a laptop

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