New prospects
In 2019, Anutin Charnvirakul, the future Health Minister, was already setting the tone when he said "Cigarettes kill, alcohol kills, drugs kill, not cannabis" A few months after these statements, Thailand became the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis for medical and research purposes. Cannabis consumption was allowed, but only on medical prescription. Then, with the new regulations published in January 2022, cannabis was removed from the list of narcotics, opening the way for anyone to grow the plant.
Thai people could thus grow up to 6 cannabis plants at home, after first informing the authorities. The harvest is then reserved for personal consumption, and trading it will not be permitted without obtaining the necessary licenses. The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifies that cannabis produced by individuals must be used for therapeutic purposes, as in traditional medicine, and that inspections will be carried out to check that the established rules are being respected.
The bill also provides that undeclared crops will be punishable by a fine of up to 20,000 baht (about €530), and that unlicensed sales will be punishable by a fine of up to 300,000 baht and/or three years' imprisonment. In doing so, Thailand is taking a further step in its plan to promote cannabis as a new source of income for the country, where more than a third of the workforce is employed in agriculture.
Cannabis plants for everyone
The latest announcement concerning cannabis in Thailand dates from early May 2022. As part of its reform on the use of medical cannabis, the country's government announced that it wanted to involve its citizens. 1 million cannabis plants will therefore be distributed free of charge to Thai people in order to develop home cultivation. The announcement, published on Facebook, specifies that from June 9, 2022, Thai citizens will be able to grow as many cannabis plants as they wish at home, for medical purposes. No license will be required for home cultivation, unlike companies wishing to make it their business. These will have to apply for authorization from the Thailand Food and Drug Administration. The government thus hopes to generate more than 10 billion baht, or almost 300,000,000 euros a year in revenue, thanks to the green gold that marijuana and hemp represent.
As a reminder:
- In 2018, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical cannabis.
- In 2020, the country's Parliament approved amendments to allow the production and sale of medical cannabis.
- In January 2022, the Ministry of Health announced the removal of cannabis from the list of narcotics, effective June 9, 2022; 1 million cannabis plants were distributed to the country's residents to encourage cultivation and develop new income for residents and the State.
- Update: in June 2025, the Thai Ministry of Public Health reversed course; the cannabis flower has once again become a controlled plant and buying it now requires a medical prescription.
