For many years, marijuana and hemp have been classified as narcotics under category 5 of the Narcotics Act of Thailand (“NAT”), until recently the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health, RE: Narcotics under Category 5 of the Narcotics Act B.E. 2565 (2022) (the “Notification”) was published on 9 February 2022, and later took effect on 9 June 2022, onwards. It is important to note that apart from the extracts from all parts of the cannabis that are still classified as narcotics under category 5, other parts of cannabis are no longer stated in the category 5 of narcotic list.
This new classification made Thailand become the first nation in Asian region to legalize cannabis. At present, a person is allowed to grow cannabis for personal use, while the operators are permitted to grow this plant for commercial purpose, only by registering online through “Plook Ganja” application or website.
Please note that there are certain activities in relation to cannabis that require a prior approval from the relevant authorities. For the importation of seeds, for instance, approval shall be granted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.