The government has warned dentists in Thailand not to sign cannabis prescription forms in advance of seeing a patient. Doing so, it said today, August 17, breaks four separate laws at once.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploythalay Laksameesaengjan said the warning is part of continued controls on cannabis under the Public Health Ministry’s 2025 notification on controlled herbs.
The form in question is known as Por.Tor.33, the standard prescription for controlled cannabis herb. Dentists must not sign it before examining or diagnosing a patient, she said, and anyone found doing so will face strict legal action.
Pre-signing turns the form into something written for no one in particular. It can then be handed out regardless of what is actually wrong with the patient, the spokesperson noted.
Ploythalay said the practice falls below professional standards and breaches dental ethics. It also runs into four laws that were not written with dentistry specifically in mind, but apply anyway because cannabis sits inside all of them.
The first is the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Act 1999, which governs cannabis flower as a controlled herb. The second is the Narcotics Code 2021, covering cannabis extract with more than 0.2% THC, classed as a Category 5 narcotic.
The third is the Dental Professions Act 1994, covering professional ethics and the dental licence itself. The fourth is the Healthcare Facilities Act 1998, specifically the conditions set out in Section 34.
“Issuing a controlled herb prescription form without an examination, diagnosis or treatment, in any individual case, falls under a breach of Dental Council regulations on professional ethics,” Ploythalay said.
“Under Article 17, dental professionals must not intentionally issue a false certificate, or give a dishonest opinion on any matter connected to their profession.”
The warning does not name any dentist or clinic, and no case has been announced. It comes as the government keeps tightening cannabis rules more broadly. Last month it moved to restrict the plant to medical use only and shut down the sale of recreational cannabis products.
Related news
- Thai government tightens regulations to restrict cannabis for medical uses
- Two Phuket cannabis shops caught operating despite suspension
The story Govt flags dentists pre-signing cannabis prescription forms, 4 laws broken as seen on Thaiger News.
