Thailand has imposed a ban on cannabis sales without a medical prescription—just three years after becoming the first Asian nation to decriminalise the plant. The sudden shift, effective immediately, has thrown the country’s cannabis industry into disarray.

Under the new rules, buyers must present a doctor’s prescription, and dispensaries can only sell cannabis grown on farms certified under the government’s GACP standards. Each customer is limited to a 30-day supply, and dispensaries are now required to have a licensed doctor on-site.

The move aligns with the ruling Pheu Thai Party’s push to limit cannabis strictly to medical use. The changes also follow political tensions within the ruling coalition, with the pro-cannabis Bhumjaithai Party recently exiting the alliance.

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin confirmed plans to reclassify cannabis as an illegal narcotic again. The abrupt announcement, published without a grace period, forced many dispensaries—especially those in tourist hotspots like Khaosan Road—to shut down temporarily.

Business owners warn the changes may push cannabis back into the underground market. Activists have called for protests, arguing that the restrictions could lead to the sale of fake medical prescriptions and corruption. Meanwhile, government officials cited concerns about rising misuse and smuggling as key reasons behind the policy reversal.

Thailand’s cannabis market once projected to reach 43 billion baht by 2025, now faces major uncertainty.

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