Is cannabis legal in Thailand? Weed, THC & CBD rules (2026)

Rules checked 30 September 2026. The law is changing.

The cabinet approved a medical-only cannabis control bill on 22 September 2026. We update this page when it passes or the rules change.

Quick answers

Question	Answer (September 2026)
Recreational cannabis	Not allowed. Cannabis flower is prescription-only.
Can tourists buy weed?	Only with a Thai prescription from a licensed practitioner, for up to 30 days’ supply.
THC extracts, oils, vapes and edibles	Extracts with more than 0.2% THC are Category 5 narcotics.
CBD products	Allowed if they contain no more than 0.2% THC and are registered with the Thai FDA.
Bringing cannabis or THC into Thailand	No. Not covered by the traveller medicine rules.
Smoking in public	No. Sales are banned in places such as temples, dormitories, parks, zoos and amusement venues, and smoking cannabis in public is treated as a nuisance.

Cannabis flower: prescription only

In late June 2025 the Ministry of Public Health reclassified cannabis flower (the inflorescence) as a controlled herb under Thai traditional medicine law. Since then:

Flower may only be sold to someone with a cannabis prescription. Walk-in sales are no longer allowed.
Prescriptions can be issued by seven kinds of licensed practitioner: medical doctors, Thai traditional medicine doctors, applied Thai traditional medicine doctors, folk healers, Chinese medicine practitioners, pharmacists and dentists.
A prescription is for no more than 30 days’ supply. The prescriber can specify the product type and dose.
Recreational sales and advertising are prohibited, and shops must keep every prescription for inspection.

A Ministerial Regulation of 30 April 2026 tightened who may hold a licence to sell cannabis flower. New sellers need an underlying credential such as a hospital, herbal-product or pharmacy licence, which ends the stand-alone “dispensary” model.

THC and cannabis extracts

Thai law draws the line at 0.2% THC by weight. Cannabis and hemp extracts above that level are Category 5 narcotics and can only be produced, sold or used under licence. The Thai FDA’s traveller list includes “Cannabis” in Narcotics Category 5. In practice, strong THC oils, vape cartridges and edibles are not legal to buy over the counter.

CBD

CBD products with no more than 0.2% THC are not narcotics. In Thailand they are sold as regulated food, cosmetic or herbal products, so a legitimate product should carry a Thai FDA registration number on the pack. If a “CBD” product has no Thai registration, or its THC content is unclear, don’t buy it.

Tourists and visitors

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s notice is clear: tourists are prohibited from using, buying, carrying or transporting cannabis flower unless they have a valid prescription issued in Thailand by a licensed medical professional. A medical cannabis card or prescription from your home country does not count.

Bringing cannabis, THC or CBD into Thailand

Don’t pack cannabis products

Thailand’s traveller allowance for controlled medicines only covers narcotics in Schedules II–III and psychotropics in Schedules II–IV. Cannabis is listed in Category 5, so there is no permit route for travellers. See bringing medication to Thailand.

Foreign CBD oils and gummies are also risky. They are not registered in Thailand and may contain more than 0.2% THC. Leaving Thailand with cannabis is also a serious risk: many countries, including neighbours such as Singapore and Malaysia, treat cannabis offences very severely.

Medical cannabis

Medical cannabis has been legal in Thailand since 2019. To use it now:

See a licensed practitioner in Thailand: a doctor, Thai traditional medicine practitioner, Chinese medicine practitioner, pharmacist or dentist.
If they decide cannabis is appropriate, they issue a cannabis prescription for up to 30 days.
Buy only from a licensed seller, who must keep the prescription on file.

Cannabis-derived prescription medicines are a separate category, regulated like other medicines.

What the new bill would change

On 22 September 2026 the cabinet approved a draft cannabis control bill. According to reports of the draft, it would:

limit cannabis and cannabis extracts to medical treatment and research,
require licences for cultivation, production, import, export and sale, issued by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine,
require cultivation plots to be registered by size so they can be traced, and
ban sales to people under 20 and to pregnant or breastfeeding women.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives. Until it becomes law, the current prescription-only rules apply.

Timeline

When	What changed
2019	Medical cannabis legalised
June 2022	Cannabis removed from the narcotics list, except extracts with more than 0.2% THC. Recreational shops spread.
June 2025	Cannabis flower becomes a controlled herb: prescription only
30 April 2026	Stricter licensing for cannabis-flower sellers
22 September 2026	Cabinet approves a medical-only cannabis control bill

What about kratom?

Kratom leaf was removed from Thailand’s narcotics list in 2021 and is regulated under its own law. The rules for kratom are separate from those for cannabis and medicines.

Common questions

Is weed legal in Thailand?

Not for recreational use. Since June 2025, cannabis flower is a “controlled herb” in Thailand and may only be sold to people with a cannabis prescription issued in Thailand by a licensed practitioner, for up to 30 days’ supply. Buying without a prescription, recreational sales and advertising are not allowed.

Can tourists buy cannabis in Thailand?

Only with a valid prescription issued in Thailand by a licensed practitioner. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says tourists are prohibited from using, buying, carrying or transporting cannabis flower without one.

Is THC legal in Thailand?

Cannabis extracts containing more than 0.2% THC by weight are Category 5 narcotics under Thai law and can only be handled under licence. THC-rich flower is available only on prescription as a controlled herb.

Is CBD legal in Thailand?

CBD products with no more than 0.2% THC are not narcotics. They are sold as Thai FDA-registered food, cosmetic or herbal products, so check the pack for a Thai FDA registration number.

Can I bring cannabis, THC or CBD products into Thailand?

Do not bring cannabis flower or THC products. Thailand’s traveller allowance for controlled medicines only covers narcotics in Schedules II–III, and cannabis is listed in Category 5. Foreign CBD products are also risky, because they may contain more THC than Thai law allows and are not registered in Thailand.

Is Thailand making cannabis illegal again?

Thailand is moving to medical-only cannabis. On 22 September 2026 the cabinet approved a cannabis control bill that would limit cannabis to medical treatment and research. It now goes to the House of Representatives. Until it becomes law, the current prescription-only rules apply.

Sources

General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with the Thai FDA before you travel. Spotted an error? Tell us.

More guides