Thailand's Cabinet has approved a draft Cannabis Control Act that would place tighter controls on cultivation, sales and medical prescribing. The proposal must now go before the House of Representatives.

Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat announced the Cabinet decision at Government House on 22 September 2026, saying cannabis is to be used for medical purposes only.

The draft would introduce more clearly defined and tougher penalties than those under the legislation currently in force, he said.

Registered cultivation and medical sales

Under the proposed law, cannabis growers would have to register their cultivation sites as small, medium or large plots. The system is intended to allow authorities to trace where cannabis is grown, oversee quality, and monitor material used for extracts or cannabis flowers.

Pattana said existing cannabis shops operating under their current licences will see those licences expire progressively between 2026 and 2028. The licences are valid for three years.

Once a licence expires, a shop that is not already a medical establishment would have to convert into one in order to renew. It would need a resident doctor under the new rules, while medicine would have to be prescribed using a prescription signed by a doctor.

Tourist areas face closer checks

Pattana said an application is already linked to records showing the locations of cannabis shops and cultivation sites. More than 10,000 locations had been entered into the system when he checked the data that morning.

He said he believed the records now cover more than 95% of the sector, allowing people to check whether a cannabis shop is legally registered. A shop not included in the system should be assumed to be illegal, he said.

Authorities will deploy more teams to inspect currently operating shops, with particular attention to tourist cities and other major urban centres. This could be especially relevant in areas popular with overseas visitors, where cannabis outlets have become highly visible.

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine will later give detailed briefings on the controls and inspections of cannabis retailers. Pattana said he was confident there were sufficient personnel to carry out inspections.

Picture courtesy of Amarin

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23 September 2026

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Authorities will deploy more teams to inspect currently operating shops, with particular attention to tourist cities and other major urban centres. This could be especially relevant in areas popular with overseas visitors, where cannabis outlets have become highly visible. Meaning Nakhon Nowhere likely nothing will change.

They have already put so many into financial difficulties, who thought they had a good business opportunity and opened a Cannabis Cafe.... that was yanked from under them without compensation. Now surplus stock gets vacuum packed and sold to dim Brit tourists to try and smuggle in on their way back!

What's the reason for not an outright ban ?

57 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

They have already put so many into financial difficulties, who thought they had a good business opportunity and opened a Cannabis Cafe.... that was yanked from under them without compensation. Now surplus stock gets vacuum packed and sold to dim Brit tourists to try and smuggle in on their way back!

It was many dim tourists and expats that got us into this situation no different than the dodgy landholdings , taking advantage of visas, and just general wacky behavior more due to booze and pills than weed. Their stupidity is limitless along with the wacky government.

After 4-5 years of a weed free-for-all, it's simply too late to put the weed genie back in the bottle.....

Plus, the very nature of weed itself causes a very laid back non rule following attitude, in smokers and sellers...

Throw into the mix some tea time contributions....And lots of tourists with plenty of cash to spend but who laugh at all the prescription nonsense..Along with plenty of eager sellers.........

And what do we have?

We have a recipe for business as usual for many years and decades to come....Despite any new crackdowns........

2 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

What's the reason for not an outright ban ?

Can we have an outright booze ban would save millions of lives

1 minute ago, Mitkof Island said:

Can we have an outright booze ban would save millions of lives

Yeah, tourist numbers slashed in an instant and local unemployment,

1 minute ago, Mitkof Island said:

Can we have an outright booze ban would save millions of lives

The behaviour we are seeing in Thailand, attracting trash, the smuggling .... this has happened since marijuana laws were relaxed.

This whole marijuana legalisation has shown that whilst it's not harmful in short quantities, in large quantities, strong stuff can cause some mental issues with many people.

2 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

The behaviour we are seeing in Thailand, attracting trash, the smuggling .... this has happened since marijuana laws were relaxed.

This whole marijuana legalisation has shown that whilst it's not harmful in short quantities, in large quantities, strong stuff can cause some mental issues with many people.

Thailand has been attracting trash for decades, Full Moon Party, Khao San Road, Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui, sex tourists , criminals and drunks.

1 hour ago, Mitkof Island said:

Authorities will deploy more teams to inspect currently operating shops, with particular attention to tourist cities and other major urban centres. This could be especially relevant in areas popular with overseas visitors, where cannabis outlets have become highly visible. Meaning Nakhon Nowhere likely nothing will change.

Up here in Nakhon Nowhere, the cannabis shops are scarcer than hens teeth, so there's nothing much to inspect and even less to change.

I am assuming that whenever this new legislation is done and dusted, without any radical change in the enforcement of the applicable laws, the market will simply revert to the 'old model'?

17 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

Can we have an outright booze ban would save millions of lives

That's not working in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia, so why should it work here?

On another note, Oktoberfest has officially kicked off in Germany, so it's assumed millions will die over the coming month.

28 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

What's the reason for not an outright ban ?

What’s the thinking for an outright ban?

24 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

The behaviour we are seeing in Thailand, attracting trash, the smuggling .... this has happened since marijuana laws were relaxed.

This whole marijuana legalisation has shown that whilst it's not harmful in short quantities, in large quantities, strong stuff can cause some mental issues with many people.

I’m not seeing any of this, most of the trash i see are drunks in bar bars with ugly hookers. Then a good old punch up on the way home.

6 minutes ago, sungod said:

I’m not seeing any of this, most of the trash i see are drunks in bar bars with ugly hookers. Then a good old punch up on the way home.

Not all pubs in Burnley are like that. You need to get out more.

9 minutes ago, sungod said:

What’s the thinking for an outright ban?

What thinking ????? zero thinking

10 minutes ago, sungod said:

I’m not seeing any of this, most of the trash i see are drunks in bar bars with ugly hookers. Then a good old punch up on the way home.

I'm seeing it rather alot. Whilst smoking in itself short term will relax, i have been around guys who have really abused it for days and days (and either when they come of it or continue on) you start seeing some effects - usually aggression, and mental behaviour.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat announced the Cabinet decision at Government House on 22 September 2026, saying cannabis is to be used for medical purposes only.

Laughable, anyone of any age can walk into a high street Cannabis shop and buy what they want over the counter.

No prescription needed.

2 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

I'm seeing it rather alot. Whilst smoking in itself short term will relax, i have been around guys who have really abused it for days and days (and either when they come of it or continue on) you start seeing some effects - usually aggression, and mental behaviour.

Not being rude, but that comment is absolute tosh,

‘ come off weed’ oh dear oh dear 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

3 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

What's the reason for not an outright ban ?

tried it before and it wasn't very successful or popular don't concern yourself its nothing to do with you

Why are you even posting in the cannabis forum Troll elsewhere

2 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

I'm seeing it rather alot. Whilst smoking in itself short term will relax, i have been around guys who have really abused it for days and days (and either when they come of it or continue on) you start seeing some effects - usually aggression, and mental behaviour.

"mental behaviour" stop making stuff up

3 hours ago, sungod said:

I’m not seeing any of this, most of the trash i see are drunks in bar bars with ugly hookers. Then a good old punch up on the way home.

the 3 F's...the perfect p!ss head night out...a feed a fษ*k and a fight

2 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

I'm seeing it rather alot. Whilst smoking in itself short term will relax, i have been around guys who have really abused it for days and days (and either when they come of it or continue on) you start seeing some effects - usually aggression, and mental behaviour.

Confirmation bias: The tendency to search for or notice only the information that agrees with your existing beliefs.

Selection bias: Distorting outcomes because the chosen study participants do not accurately represent the target population.

Availability bias: A distortion in anything that relies on interpretation of evidence, arising from the use of information which is most readily available, rather than that which is necessarily most representative.

Observer bias: The process of observing and recording information which includes systematic discrepancies from the truth.

Perception bias: The tendency to be subjective about people and events, causing biased information to be collected in a study or biased interpretation of a study’s results.