Medicinal Cannabis in Thailand

Medicinal cannabis is legal in Thailand under the framework established by the 2019 amendment to the Narcotics Act B.E. 2522 and the subsequent Cannabis Act of 2022. Cannabis extracts are no longer classified as Category 5 narcotics, and the Thailand Food and Drug Administration (Thailand FDA) has established a licensing framework covering producers, importers, exporters, distributors, and healthcare practitioners. Recreational use remains outside the legalised framework. The Ministry of Public Health has consistently maintained that cannabis access is restricted to medical and research purposes, with dispensing occurring through licensed healthcare facilities and pharmacies under prescription.

The Thailand Food and Drug Administration (Thailand FDA), under the Ministry of Public Health, is the primary regulatory authority. Licence categories include production licences, import licences, export licences, sale and distribution licences, and practitioner authorisations for prescribing. Each party in the supply chain must hold the relevant licence for their activity — there is no single licence that covers the entire chain. Overseas suppliers seeking to export product into Thailand must work with a Thailand FDA-licensed importer. GLG's local partnerships are structured around entities that hold the appropriate import and distribution authorisations.

Green Leaf Global operates as a B2B supply partner. In Thailand, we work with locally licensed importers and distributors to place GMP-certified medicinal cannabis product into the authorised healthcare supply chain. We do not hold a Thailand FDA import licence directly — we operate through compliant in-country partners who do. Our role is to provide international-standard product with the documentation package — Certificates of Analysis, batch records, cold-chain records, and provenance documentation — that Thai FDA-licensed importers require to complete their regulatory obligations. For overseas producers, we can also provide structured market entry support through our export services offering.

Thailand FDA product specifications for imported medicinal cannabis are aligned broadly with international GMP standards, including requirements for batch identification, Certificate of Analysis from an accredited laboratory, cannabinoid profile declaration, and residual solvent, pesticide, and microbiological testing. Products must be authorised under the applicable Thai FDA product registration or notification category. THC concentration thresholds and permissible cannabinoid ratios are product-type specific and are reviewed as part of the Thailand FDA approval process. GLG ensures that all product supplied into the Thai channel meets both the originating country's GMP requirements and Thai FDA import specifications. Producers seeking to enter the market should engage GLG early to confirm their product profile aligns before incurring registration costs.

GLG is a wholesale B2B supplier — we do not sell directly to individual healthcare practitioners or retail pharmacy end points. Our supply is routed through Thailand FDA-licensed importers and distributors who then place product with authorised hospital networks, clinic groups, and pharmacy facilities operating within the Ministry of Public Health's dispensing framework. If you represent a hospital network or clinic group seeking to establish a reliable GMP-certified supply arrangement, the correct first step is to confirm your dispensing licence status and introduce us to your licensed distributor or importer. We can facilitate introductions where appropriate.

The starting point is a product review. GLG will assess whether your product profile — cannabinoid specification, form factor, GMP certification, and COA documentation — aligns with Thai FDA import requirements. If there is a fit, we will map the regulatory pathway, introduce you to appropriate licensed importers, and structure a supply arrangement that sits correctly within the Thai framework. Our export services page covers the process in detail. Lead times for Thai FDA import authorisation vary and should be factored into your market entry timeline from the outset. We do not facilitate speculative or informal supply arrangements.

Both markets operate on prescription-based dispensing models with licensed supply chains, GMP product requirements, and government agency oversight. Australia's framework — administered by the TGA and ODC — is more mature, with a larger base of approved products and a well-established SAS-B and formulary pathway. Thailand's framework is newer and continues to evolve, with the Thailand FDA actively developing product categories and licensing procedures. The key structural similarities make Australia a useful reference point for Thai market entrants — the compliance disciplines are comparable, and GLG's experience operating under TGA and ODC requirements directly informs how we structure Thai market supply. See our compliance page for an overview of how GLG manages regulatory obligations across its operating markets.