The short answer, as of October 2026
Thailand decriminalized cannabis in 2022, becoming the first country in Asia to do so (Khaosod English, June 21, 2026), and has since moved to tighten control. Today, cannabis flower is a "controlled herb": shops can sell it only to people with a prescription from a qualified practitioner, for no more than 30 days, according to a government briefing reported by The Nation on July 17, 2026. Recreational use is not allowed.
On September 22, 2026, the cabinet approved a draft cannabis control bill that would limit cannabis to medical use, require cultivation plots to be registered and set tougher penalties; it now goes to the House of Representatives (The Nation, September 23, 2026). For now, officials are enforcing the Ministry of Public Health's 2025 controlled-herb notification and a 2026 licensing regulation.
How the rules changed, 2022 to 2026
Key dates, with the source for each:
- 2022: Thailand decriminalizes cannabis, and thousands of shops open (Associated Press, June 27, 2025).
- Late June 2025: A Ministry of Public Health order reclassifies cannabis buds as a controlled herb, bans sales without a prescription and limits sales to a 30-day personal supply. AP reported on June 27, 2025 that it had taken effect the day before; the Tourism Authority of Thailand's notice for tourists (June 27, 2025) gives June 23, 2025 as the start date.
- 2026: A new ministerial regulation limits licences to registered healthcare facilities, pharmacies and herbal product stores, requires an official prescription form and caps supply at 30 days per patient (Khaosod English, May 16, 2026).
- June 2026: Officials report more than 1,200 inspections of cannabis businesses in recent weeks, with arrests and licence suspensions (Khaosod English, June 21, 2026).
- August 2026: The government warns dentists not to pre-sign cannabis prescription forms (Form Phor Thor 33) without examining and diagnosing the patient (The Nation, August 17, 2026).
- September 22, 2026: Cabinet approves the draft control bill. Shop licences last 3 years and expire between 2026 and 2028, and the health minister estimated that more than half of shops would need to become medical facilities, with a doctor on site, to renew (The Nation, September 23, 2026).
How the prescription system works
As the government described the 2025 notification in July 2026:
- Sales to the public are allowed only with a prescription from a qualified practitioner, such as a physician, Thai traditional medicine practitioner, folk healer, pharmacist or dentist, for medical purposes.
- A prescription can cover no more than 30 days.
- Smoking cannabis on a shop's premises is banned unless it is part of treatment by a qualified practitioner.
- Sales through vending machines and online or electronic channels are banned, and so is advertising in any form.
What that means for tourists
The Tourism Authority's notice says tourists may not use, buy, carry or transport cannabis flower unless they have a valid prescription issued in Thailand, that recreational use has never been legally permitted, and that shops selling cannabis for smoking to walk-in customers may be operating outside the law.
Sources do not list prescribers identically: the 2025 tourist notice names Thai traditional medicine, Chinese medicine and dentistry, while the July 2026 briefing names physicians, Thai traditional practitioners, folk healers, pharmacists and dentists. Officials also say registered shops appear on an official map and that a shop missing from it can be presumed unregistered (The Nation, September 23, 2026).
Cannabis extracts are in a separate category: those with more than 0.2% THC are Category 5 narcotics under Thailand's Narcotics Code (The Nation, August 17, 2026).
Penalties and other rules that catch visitors
Visitors are subject to Thai law. Key penalties and rules:
- Illegally selling, processing or exporting cannabis flower, including selling without a prescription: up to 1 year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both (The Nation, July 17, 2026).
- Breaking the 2025 controlled-herb notification: up to 1 year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both (The Nation, July 12, 2026).
- Taking cannabis out of Thailand illegally: up to 10 years in prison under the Customs Act, a fine of 4 times the duty-inclusive value of the goods, or both (The Nation, July 12, 2026).
- E-cigarettes, vaporizers and e-baraku: illegal to import, possess or use, with heavy fines or jail sentences of up to 10 years, according to the Government of Canada's travel advice for Thailand (checked October 7, 2026). That rules out bringing a cannabis vape pen.
- Smoking is prohibited in all public places, and smoking on some beaches is punishable by a 100,000-baht fine and up to 1 year in prison.
- Police run spot checks for drugs, especially around entertainment venues, and may ask for a urine sample; penalties for illegal drugs can include heavy fines, jail or even the death penalty.
Never take cannabis across a border, including home to Canada
Thai officials say medical access inside Thailand does not allow anyone to take cannabis abroad, warn travellers not to carry parcels or luggage for other people, and note that many countries, including some of Thailand's neighbours, treat cannabis as a serious narcotic (The Nation, July 12, 2026).
Canada's rules are just as clear. The Government of Canada's travel page on drugs and cannabis (checked October 7, 2026) says it is illegal to take cannabis across the Canadian border in either direction, including edibles, extracts, topicals and all products containing CBD. If you have cannabis with you when you arrive, you must declare it to the Canada Border Services Agency; not declaring it is a serious criminal offence that can lead to arrest and prosecution. Canadian citizenship gives no immunity abroad, and consular officials cannot override local authorities or arrange your release.
Check the latest rules before you fly
Thailand's cannabis rules have changed several times since 2022, and a new law is pending. Two sources used here, the AP report and the Tourism Authority notice, date from June 2025, more than 6 months ago, and they give slightly different start dates; the 2026 reports above show the prescription system still in force, but details can change quickly. Before you travel, check the Government of Canada's travel advice for Thailand and official Thai government notices, and if anything is unclear, do not buy or use cannabis.
In Thailand, the tourist police can be reached at 1155, and the Tourism Authority's notice lists the Food and Drug Administration hotline, 1556, for cannabis questions.
Back home in Canada
For how other places handle cannabis, see cannabis laws in Europe, cannabis in Argentina and the history of cannabis prohibition in Canada.
In Toronto or the GTA, GasDank delivers same day, usually within 1 to 2 hours, and ships by mail order across Canada. Customers must be 19 or older (21 in Quebec), with ID checked at the door. See Toronto weed delivery for details.
