More details have emerged about the public health minister’s new regulation on the sale and use of cannabis products, which include prohibiting smoking inside cannabis shops unless under medical supervision.

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed the new regulation on Tuesday. All consumer purchases will require a medical prescription.

The new controls will take effect a day after they are published in the Royal Gazette.

The order requires all parties wanting to study, export, sell or process cannabis buds for commercial purposes to have the proper licences.

They must have and report data on the source, use and amount of cannabis in their possession.

The new regulation prohibits the sale of cannabis for smoking in cannabis business premises, unless under the supervision of professionals with relevant medical certificates, including practitioners of traditional Thai and Chinese medicine and dentists, for the treatment of their patients who have prescriptions.

The amount of cannabis sold is limited to 30 days’ use.

The new order prohibits the sale of cannabis products through vending machines, electronic channels and computer networks. It also bans their advertising on all channels.

Pol Lt Gen Phanurat Lukboon, secretary-general of the Narcotics Control Board, said that in 2019 an estimated 350,000 Thais were habitual cannabis users, but the number exceeded 700,000 last year. He said the number rose significantly after the decriminalisation of cannabis in 2022.