BANGKOK: Thailand’s new government is moving to push cannabis firmly back into a medical framework, with ordinary cannabis shops set to disappear as operators renewing their licences will have to upgrade into medical facilities.
The shift comes as the number of cannabis outlets has already fallen sharply, with officials saying only about 15% of the original 18,000 shops remain, or roughly 3,000 outlets likely to move towards the new model.
Public Health Minister Pattana Phromphat said the government would continue to support medical cannabis, but under stricter controls covering cultivation, extraction and use. He said the ministry would also closely monitor which outlets renew their licences and which do not, as part of efforts to tighten standards across the sector.
Pattana said any outlet seeking a licence renewal would have to upgrade into a medical facility, staffed by qualified professionals such as doctors or Thai traditional medicine practitioners. He said this would help ensure cannabis is dispensed within a proper medical setting rather than through general retail channels.
He added that hospitals nationwide were also ready to dispense medical cannabis, reinforcing the government’s push to make access more clearly tied to treatment and healthcare services.
Dr Phongsathorn Phokphoemdee, director-general of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said the policy shift would have three main elements.
The first is expanded enforcement authority, with administrative officers now empowered to act under the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Act, alongside the Public Health Ministry and police.
The second is the conversion of cannabis shops into medical facilities. He said businesses would not be forced to change overnight, but once their current licences expire, they would need to meet the new conditions before renewing. Operators would be given a three-year transition period to adjust.
Pattana said he had instructed officials to map the locations of licensed cannabis outlets nationwide and introduce stickers to be displayed clearly at shopfronts, showing whether each outlet is properly licensed and when its licence expires.
The plan is intended to make inspections easier for officials and help patients identify where they can legally obtain medical cannabis services. Once the mapping is complete, the ministry expects the system to provide clearer access points for those who genuinely need cannabis for medical purposes.
Phongsathorn said the department had already prepared support systems for operators and staff, including training programmes and e-learning, to help businesses adapt to the new regulatory model.
Despite the tighter controls, the government is still positioning cannabis as a potential new economic growth engine, particularly in the medical field. Pattana said medical cannabis involved high-value extraction and processing, and the ministry saw economic opportunities in both domestic use and exports.
He said cannabis extracts in overseas markets were widely used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, creating high added value. If growers, extractors and processors can meet quality standards, the ministry would support domestic use first, with any surplus potentially exported.
He added that several private firms had already invested in extraction plants meeting industrial, food and medical standards, and said the ministry was ready to support businesses committed to operating within the law.
Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022, triggering a rapid boom in dispensaries, but the government reversed course in 2025 by restricting cannabis sales to medical use and requiring prescriptions.
Since then, authorities have been tightening rules and steering the industry away from open retail sales towards a clinic-based model. - The Nation/ANN
