Farms and supply
Hemp vs cannabis under Thai law: what an industrial hemp licence covers
Thailand Cannabis Report · Reefers Club Co., Ltd. · Last checked 31 October 2026
Hemp and cannabis are the same species, and Thai law has treated them as related but separate for years. The difference is chemistry, and it decides which uses are open.
How Thai law defines hemp
Thai rules define hemp as a subspecies of the cannabis plant whose leaves and flower stay under a low THC threshold set by law, measured by dry weight. Verified Plants above that line are treated as cannabis. A farm's paperwork needs to show which it is growing.
Before and after June 2022
- Before: a hemp licensing regulation in force from January 2021 allowed licensed cultivation for medicines, herbal products, cosmetics and food.
- After 9 June 2022: the plants left the narcotics list. Thai nationals can grow them and handle unprocessed parts without a narcotics licence, with cultivation recorded through the official application. Verified
- The flower: remains a controlled herb under the Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Act, so selling it still needs a DTAM licence.
What hemp can be used for
- Fibre and seed: the traditional industrial uses.
- Food and cosmetics: hemp seed, seed oil, certain plant parts and CBD extract can be used in Thai FDA licensed products, with domestic raw materials and some categories excluded. Verified
- Herbal products and medicines: licensed and registered under the Herbal Products Act and drug law.
- Extracts: above 0.2% THC by weight they are Category 5 narcotics. See extracts and the 0.2% THC line.
Who can do it
Cultivation is an agricultural business under the Foreign Business Act, so foreign-majority companies cannot grow hemp or cannabis. Extract production was closed to foreign businesses by the extracts regulation in force since 25 April 2026. Verified
Section 3 of the report, free to read, covers the instruments in force.
Sources
- Section 3 of the 2026 report, The rules in force (free to read)
- Tilleke & Gibbins, Cannabis and Hemp Business Guide Thailand 2025
- Department of Agriculture, Thailand import conditions on cannabis and hemp seed
This article is market intelligence, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change by notification; check the current text with the relevant authority or Thai counsel before you act.
In short
What is the difference between hemp and cannabis in Thailand?
Hemp is defined by a low THC threshold in its leaves and flower, set in law. Plants above it are treated as cannabis.
Do you need a licence to grow hemp in Thailand?
Since the 2022 delisting, Thai nationals can grow the plant without a narcotics licence, but cultivation is recorded and the flower remains a controlled herb.
Can foreign companies grow hemp?
No. Foreign-majority companies are restricted from cultivation under the Foreign Business Act.
What can hemp be used for?
Fibre, seed, seed oil and, under Thai FDA rules, certain parts and extracts in food, cosmetics and herbal products.
Is hemp CBD legal?
CBD extracts can be used in registered products under Thai FDA rules. Extracts above 0.2% THC by weight are Category 5 narcotics.
Want the numbers behind this?
This article gives you the argument. The figures, where they come from and how sure we are of each one are in the report.