Thailand's Cabinet approved the draft Cannabis Control Act on 22 September 2026. Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said the bill would then go before the House of Representatives.
Update 11 Oct 2026: Thai PBS Policy Watch reports that the bill (77 sections) has been under review by the Council of State (the government's legal drafting body) since 6 Oct 2026, before it is submitted to Parliament. Once the law passes, more than 15 pieces of secondary legislation will still need to be issued.
Key points from the announcement
- The minister confirmed that, as of now, cannabis may be used for medical purposes only.
- Street-front shops that are still open are operating on their original 3-year licences, which will expire in stages between 2026 and 2028. The minister said shops that are not healthcare facilities must convert into a healthcare facility with a resident doctor if they want to renew, and every dispensing must be backed by a prescription signed by a doctor. (Note: the Ministerial Regulation of 30 Apr 2026 also allows legally operating pharmacies and herbal-product shops to apply.)
- An online system lets the public check which shops and cultivation sites are properly registered. At the time of the announcement it held records for more than 10,000 locations. The minister said any shop not in the system should be presumed illegal.
- The ministry will send more inspection teams to check shops, especially in tourist cities and major provincial cities.
What the draft law regulates
The bill sets up a system covering the whole supply chain: a national committee; licences for cultivation, production, import, export and sale (valid for 3 years); registration of cultivation plots by size; a ban on sales to people under 20, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers; a ban on advertising cannabis flower and smoking equipment; and tougher penalties. Recreational use would be punishable by a fine.
Before this, the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) held several rounds of public consultation between April and July 2026 and submitted the final draft to the minister on 20 Jul 2026.
What it means for businesses
The bill is not yet in force, but the direction is clear: the cannabis business will sit entirely within a medical framework. Operators should start planning how to convert their shops now. See How to Open a Cannabis Shop in Thailand (2026) and our Thailand Cannabis Law 2026 summary.
