Thailand to shift cannabis shops to medical use as numbers plunge

Thailand is announcing new measures to further push the cannabis industry away from recreational to medical use, with ordinary shops set to disappear as operators renewing their licenses will require upgrading to meet regulations.

The shift comes as the number of cannabis outlets has already fallen sharply, with officials saying only about 15 percent of the original 18,000 shops — roughly 3,000 outlets — are likely to move toward the new model.

Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said the government would continue to support medical cannabis, but under stricter controls covering cultivation, extraction and use.

He said the ministry would also closely monitor which outlets renew their licenses and which do not, as part of efforts to tighten standards across the sector.

Pattana said any outlet seeking a license renewal would have to upgrade into a medical facility, staffed by qualified professionals such as doctors or Thai traditional medicine practitioners. He said this would help ensure cannabis is dispensed within a proper medical setting rather than through general retail channels.

He added that hospitals nationwide were also ready to dispense medical cannabis, reinforcing the government's push to make access more clearly tied to treatment and healthcare services.

Phongsathorn Phokphoemdee, director-general of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said the policy shift would have several main elements.

The first is expanded enforcement authority, with administrative officers now empowered to act under the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Intelligence Act, alongside the Public Health Ministry and police.