Guide · the law

Cannabis laws in Thailand: what is legal in 2026

Thailand decriminalised cannabis in June 2022, then pulled flower back under control in June 2025. Here is what that means today, in plain English.

Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Sources at the bottom.

Short answer: cannabis is legal for medical use only. Cannabis flower is a “controlled herb”. To buy it you must be 20 or older and hold a PT33 prescription from a licensed Thai practitioner. Recreational sale and use are not legal.

Changed26 Jun 2025
Minimum age20
PrescriptionPT33
Max per script30 days

What changed in June 2025

On 26 June 2025 the Ministry of Public Health issued a new Notification on Controlled Herbs (Cannabis). It put cannabis flower back under tight control. From that date a dispensary may only hand over flower against a prescription on the official form, called PT33, issued by one of seven kinds of licensed practitioner.

This is not the same as the 2022 rules, when anyone over 20 could buy. It is also not full re-criminalisation in the sense of the pre-2022 narcotics law. It is a medical-only regime run through the controlled-herb rules.

What is legal

Buying cannabis flower from a licensed dispensary, in person, with a valid PT33.
Possessing what your prescription covers. Guides report a cap of 30 grams a month; the notification itself sets the 30-day limit per prescription.
Using it in private.
Products at or under 0.2% THC, such as most CBD oils, without a prescription. This threshold is reported by industry guides, not something we read in the notification.

What is not legal

Buying or selling flower without a PT33.
Online sales and delivery. Policymakers have said an online chat with a prescription sent by messaging app or email does not comply.
Smoking or vaping in public.
Taking any cannabis product out of the country.
Using a prescription or medical card issued outside Thailand. Only a Thai PT33 counts.

Penalties

Selling flower without a prescription, or breaking the other conditions of the notification, carries up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 20,000 baht. Industry guides also report a possession penalty of up to three months or 25,000 baht for buyers without a prescription. We could not confirm that second figure from a legal source, so treat it as reported.

What this means for a dispensary

They must see a PT33 before they sell flower, and keep that prescription on file for at least one year.
Flower must come from a GACP-certified grow (Good Agricultural and Collection Practices).
Many shops now offer an on-site or linked consultation with a licensed practitioner. Approval is the practitioner's call, not the shop's.

What this means for you

Get the prescription before you go shopping. Our guide to the PT33 prescription covers who can issue it, what it costs and how long it lasts. If you are visiting, read can tourists buy cannabis in Thailand first.

Quick answers

Is weed legal in Thailand in 2026?

For medical use only. Since 26 June 2025 cannabis flower is a controlled herb. You can buy it from a licensed dispensary with a Thai PT33 prescription. Recreational use is not legal.

Can I still walk into a dispensary and buy?

Only with a PT33 prescription from a licensed Thai practitioner, and only if you are 20 or older. Shops that sell without one risk up to a year in prison or a 20,000 baht fine, so most will refuse.

Is CBD legal in Thailand?

Products at or under 0.2% THC are reported not to need a prescription. That figure comes from industry guides, not from the statute we could read, so check the label and ask the shop.

Can I smoke in public?

No. Public consumption was already an offence under the public nuisance rules before 2025 and the medical-only regime did not loosen that. Use it in private.

Can I take cannabis home from Thailand?

No. Taking any cannabis product across the border is a criminal offence in Thailand and almost everywhere you would be flying to.