📘 How to Open a Legal Cannabis Business in Thailand (Updated 2025 Guide)
- Grow Space Bangkok
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
With the Thai government’s 2025 cannabis policy reversal, opening a cannabis business is no longer as simple as renting a shop and stocking weed. As of June 26, 2025, recreational cannabis is banned, and all cannabis-related businesses must now operate within a tightly controlled medical framework.
Still, opportunity remains—especially for serious investors, farmers, and medical operators who can comply with new regulations.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start your cannabis business legally in Thailand today.
🚨 Summary: Key Legal Changes in 2025
Before diving into business setup, it’s essential to understand the current law:
Regulation Area | Status (as of June 2025) |
Recreational cannabis | ❌ Banned (possession/use without medical prescription is illegal) |
Medical cannabis | ✅ Legal under prescription by Thai-certified practitioners |
Sales & retail | 🛑 Must operate as a licensed medical clinic or pharmacy |
Grow operations | ✅ Legal with GACP certification & Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) approval |
Imports/Exports | ❌ Strictly prohibited without MOPH special license |
Advertising cannabis | ❌ Fully banned (including online and social media) |
🏪 Business Models Allowed Under 2025 Law
If you're looking to enter the cannabis industry in Thailand legally, you must choose from business types that fall within the approved medical-use framework:
1. Licensed Medical Cannabis Clinic
Works under a Thai-licensed doctor, pharmacist, or traditional medicine practitioner.
Must follow clinical protocols, prescription recording (Phor.Tor.27), and monthly usage reports.
2. Cannabis Pharmacy/Dispensary (Under Clinic Model)
Requires a licensed health professional onsite.
May sell medical cannabis flower, oils, capsules, and other approved formats.
Must comply with prescription-only access, track dosage (max 30g flower/month per patient).
3. Cannabis Cultivation Operation
Can grow cannabis for medical use only.
Must register as an agricultural facility and obtain GACP certification.
Requires a contract or partnership with a registered clinic or hospital.
4. Cannabis Product Manufacturer
Can process cannabis into oils, tinctures, capsules, etc.
Requires FDA and MOPH approval, lab testing, and a Thai GMP license.
📝 Step-by-Step Guide: Opening Your Cannabis Business in Thailand (Legally)
🔹 Step 1: Choose Your Business Type
Decide whether you want to be a grower, clinic operator, product maker, or full vertical model (cultivation + clinic + product).
Each model has different legal and financial requirements. Most foreigners partner with licensed Thai professionals (mandatory for clinics).
🔹 Step 2: Register Your Legal Entity
You’ll need to set up a Thai company:
Register a company with the Department of Business Development (DBD).
Choose a Thai partner if foreign shareholding exceeds 49%.
Register for VAT if revenue >1.8 million baht/year.
🔹 Step 3: Secure Licenses from Relevant Authorities
For Clinics / Dispensaries:
Apply to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) for a Controlled Herb Handling License.
Employ a Thai-licensed doctor or pharmacist.
Set up a legal clinic space with medical records and locked storage.
Submit monthly usage and prescription reports (Phor.Tor.28 & 29 forms).
For Cultivators:
Apply through Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM).
Your site must follow GACP standards.
Provide documentation of your relationship with a licensed medical facility that will purchase your product.
Install security systems, logging systems, and pass facility inspection.
For Processors:
Apply for a Thai FDA license for herbal medicine or health supplements.
Comply with GMP manufacturing standards.
Get product formulation approved and pass stability and safety testing.
🔹 Step 4: Comply with Additional Regulations
No online sales or promotion.
No cannabis use onsite unless as part of supervised treatment.
Products must be labeled, tested, and THC content under 0.2% for public exposure.
Foreigners cannot apply for licenses directly—a Thai legal partner is required in most cases.
📦 Logistics & Supply Chain Requirements
Cannabis flower must be tracked from seed to sale.
All sales must be recorded with batch IDs, prescription data, and patient logs.
Deliveries must be done via licensed medical transport, not general couriers.
💰 Startup Costs (Estimates)
Expense Category | Approximate Cost (THB) |
Business Registration | 20,000 – 40,000 THB |
Licensing (clinic/grow) | 50,000 – 150,000 THB |
GACP Certification | 80,000 – 200,000 THB |
Security & Storage Setup | 100,000 – 300,000 THB |
Lab Testing (per batch) | 3,000 – 10,000 THB |
Staff / Medical Personnel | 30,000 – 100,000 THB/month |
💡 Pro Tips for Success
✅ Partner with medical professionals to strengthen your license application.
✅ Hire a cannabis legal consultant to ensure compliance with 2025 MOPH rules.
✅ Document everything—licenses, purchase orders, prescriptions, testing.
✅ Focus on education, not promotion. You may provide “product knowledge” but cannot advertise.
✅ Join a licensed cannabis cooperative or industry network for guidance.
📍 Example: Legal Grow-to-Clinic Model
A Thai entrepreneur opens a GACP-certified greenhouse in Chiang Mai, then partners with a registered traditional Thai medicine clinic in Bangkok to distribute flower and oil. Patients are prescribed cannabis for chronic pain or anxiety. All sales are tracked with monthly reporting to the Ministry of Public Health.
Result? A fully legal, vertically integrated cannabis business in Thailand.
📞 Ready to Start?
Opening a cannabis business in Thailand in 2025 is complex—but not impossible. The key is compliance, partnerships, and professionalism. If you’re ready to take the next step, consult with a Thai cannabis law expert and ensure you have the right documentation from day one.
Need help setting up your cannabis clinic or grow operation in Thailand? We can assist with licensing, GACP/GMP support, grow room setup, and supplier connections.
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