Cannabis in Thailand

Cannabis in Thailand
Location of Thailand (dark green)
MedicinalLegal
RecreationalCriminalized
HempLegal
Bottles of cannabis-infused drink on a "healthy drink" shelf of a convenience store in Bangkok, photo taken in 2023

In Thailand, cannabis, known by the name Ganja (Thai: กัญชา; RTGSkancha), is currently (as of 25 June 2025) a controlled substance and criminalized.[1] However, cannabis extracts and products are officially limited to 0.2% THC content.[2][3] Only medicinal use is legal, but in practice there is wide recreational usage.[4] Legislation has been proposed which provides for fines for non-permitted uses and fines and jail time for unauthorized sale.[5]

Import and export of cannabis are still highly regulated.

Sales of cannabis plant parts, products, and edibles are prohibited to minors (under 20-years-old), pregnant women, and breastfeeding women. Cannabis smoke is considered a public nuisance and thus prohibited in public areas.[6][7] Public use is sometimes subject to fines under the 1992 Public Health Act.[3]

On 8 May 2022, Thailand's health minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced in a Facebook post that the government will distribute one million free cannabis plants to households across the country, starting on the 9 June. The move is said to be a step further into Thailand's plan to use cannabis as a cash crop.[8][9]

  1. ^ "Country bans recreational cannabis again in major blow to tourism". The Independent. 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Is weed still legal in Thailand? Here's what tourists need to know as government u-turns". www.euronews.com. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  3. ^ a b Stuart, Aydan; Bush, Austin (30 August 2022). "Cannabis is now legal in Thailand, but it's complicated: what travelers need to know". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  4. ^ Campbell, Charlie (10 April 2023). "How Thailand's Deputy PM Could Score the Top Job—and Redefine the Country's Politics". Time. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  5. ^ Symons, Angela (7 November 2024). "Is weed still legal in Thailand? Here's what tourists need to know as government u-turns". Euronews. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  6. ^ "Notifications of the Ministry of Health Re : Specifying the Category V Narcotic Substance 2565 BE (2022 AD)" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 8 February 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Act Promulgating the Narcotic Code 2564 BE (2021 AD)" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 7 November 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Thailand to give away one million free cannabis plants to households, minister says". KMIZ. 11 May 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Explained: Why Thailand will distribute 1 million cannabis plants to households". The Indian Express. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022 – via Yahoo! News.

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