Cannabis buds may legally be used only by patients with five categories of symptoms and must be obtained with a doctor’s prescription, the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine announced on Monday.
Dr Somlerk Jeungsmarn said the conditions are insomnia, chronic pain, migraine, Parkinson’s disease and anorexia. Patients must present prescriptions from licensed doctors or pharmacists, and cannabis buds can be sold only in licensed shops.
Each prescription is valid for up to 30 days of treatment. Sellers are required to source cannabis from certified farms and are barred from online sales, vending machines or advertising, Dr Somlerk said.
To ensure oversight, authorities have developed the Cannamed Connect platform, which manages applications for prescriptions, distribution, patient use records and the listing of licensed cannabis outlets.
