Up to 12,000 existing cannabis flower retailers may be forced to shut down as new rules will require specific medical professionals to be on-site, limiting sales to prescription only. A sweeping regulatory change is set to dramatically reshape Thailand's burgeoning cannabis industry, with an estimated 12,000 cannabis flower shops facing potential closure as their current operating licenses expire later this year.
New draft ministerial regulations from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) will mandate the presence of specific medical professionals at these establishments.
Dr Somruek Chungsaman, Director-General of the DTAM, announced on 30 June 2025, that a new departmental notification regarding cannabis flower prescriptions is imminent. Once published in the Royal Gazette, this notification will introduce a stricter prescription form.
This form will require clear identification of the certifying professional, who must belong to one of seven designated fields: General Medicine, Thai Traditional Medicine, Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Chinese Traditional Medicine practitioners, or Folk Doctors. Crucially, their license number must be recorded with every prescription.
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