The guidelines, developed under the Ministry of Public Health’s Controlled Herbal Product (Cannabis) BE 2568 notification, set penalties for licensed operators engaged in research, export, sale or processing of cannabis for commercial purposes, department deputy director-general Dr Thewan Thaneerat said yesterday (June 22).
The guidelines are intended to provide a uniform framework for both law enforcement and cannabis business operators, he said.
Under the rules, operators may face a 30-day licence suspension for failing to maintain or submit the Por Thor 27 form, which declares the source of cannabis and product quantities currently held in stock, and the Por Thor 28, a record of cannabis distribution that covers the daily sales or how cannabis is processed into other products, reports the Bangkok Post.
Suspension may also be imposed if the mandatory monthly reports are incomplete or not submitted to the registrar. The penalty also applies to operators who sell or export controlled products not certified under Good Agricultural and Collection Practices or equivalent standards; fail to display licences at business premises or provide them for digital inspection; or advertise cannabis products for commercial purposes.
Operators may face longer suspensions of up to 90 days if they fail to notify authorities of export details, or sell cannabis without the PorThor 33 form, a medical prescription required for every legal sale. Licences may be revoked for operators who report false information, sell cannabis to vulnerable groups, allow on-site consumption, sell products online or via vending machines or operate in prohibited areas, Dr Thewan said.
Vulnerable groups include people under 20, students, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Prohibited locations include temples, dormitories and public parks.
Licence suspension periods for multiple violations will be combined but cannot exceed 90 days. Operators committing a second violation will face harsher penalties, with revocation applied immediately for repeating the same type of offence, Dr Thewan said.