Navigating Global Cannabis Compliance: Thai GACP, EU-GACP, CUMCS, Thai GMP, and EU-GMP

Part II: How Export Deals Actually Work — Timelines, Permits, Logistics, and the Future of Thai Cannabis

This is Part II of a two-part series. Part I covered Thai GACP, EU-GACP, CUMCS, Thai GMP, EU-GMP, and the key certifications that form the foundation for export readiness. Part II examines how international deals actually progress from initial interest to first shipment and what the medium-term future of Thailand's cannabis export industry looks like.

Making International Deals Happen: From Compliance to First Export

For Thai suppliers and their foreign buyers, patience and diligence are essential. A typical sequence from initial interest to the first import shipment can easily take 6 to 12 months or more, because of the multiple layers of compliance and approvals required on both sides.

Stage 1: Achieving Compliance

Before any export can occur, the Thai cultivation site must hold DTAM GACP certification, and the manufacturing site (if processing into oil or finished products) must be GMP-certified. This stage involves implementing GACP/GMP protocols, drafting and enforcing SOPs, upgrading facilities, training staff, and building documentation systems. It also typically involves third-party audits for CUMCS, EU-GACP, or EU-GMP certification. GACP implementation and certification typically runs 3 to 6 months. Full GMP build-out and certification is 6 to 12 or more months, especially for greenfield facilities. Many operators choose to work with specialized compliance consultants who handle audits, gap analysis, SOP drafting, and training, significantly reducing delays and costly missteps.

Stage 2: Finding a Buyer and Signing an Agreement

Once certifications are in hand or at advanced stages, Thai suppliers can credibly approach overseas partners through industry conference introductions, referrals via consultants or logistics partners, or direct outreach to licensed importers and distributors. Foreign buyers conduct due diligence on licenses, certifications, facilities, and capacity, and typically request site visits before committing to supply agreements. Negotiations cover product specifications (THC/CBD range, terpene profile, moisture levels, microbial limits, packaging format), initial and future volumes, pricing structure, and compliance contingencies. Contracts often include clauses making execution conditional on the Thai supplier obtaining specific certifications or passing qualification batches.

Stage 3: Regulatory Approvals

This stage often takes the most time and requires precise coordination. On the Thai side, exporters need DTAM and TFDA export authorization per shipment. On the importing country side, buyers apply for import permits from the relevant competent authority: BfArM in Germany, ODC in Australia, the Home Office Drugs and Firearms Licensing Unit in the UK, the Bureau Medicinale Cannabis (BMC) in the Netherlands. The critical sequencing requirement is that Thai export authorization cannot be finalized until the destination country import permit is in hand. Import permit applications in destination countries can take 2 to 6 weeks, so the process must be initiated 4 to 8 weeks before the intended shipment date.

Stage 4: Logistics, Customs, and Quarantine

Once permits align, the physical shipment must be planned carefully: selecting appropriate air freight routes and carriers that accept cannabis cargo under controlled conditions, ensuring secure tamper-evident packaging, incorporating calibrated temperature monitoring, and preparing complete customs documentation including invoices, packing lists, export licenses, and import permits. Any inconsistency between documents, batch details, or labels can result in delays, fines, or in worst cases, seizure of the shipment.

Stage 5: Post-Import Testing and Final Release

After arrival, the importer typically sends samples to an accredited laboratory for confirmatory testing covering identity, potency, impurities, and microbiology. In the EU, the process is governed by EudraLex Volume 4 Annex 16 ("Certification by a Qualified Person and Batch Release"). The Qualified Person at the importing company reviews all batch documentation and laboratory data, then formally certifies and releases the batch if everything complies with the applicable marketing authorisation or import specification. Similar post-import verification applies in Australia and other regulated markets. If issues are found (a pesticide level exceeding limits, or potency outside the agreed range), the batch may be rejected or quarantined pending additional data. Given all these steps, public announcements of "export deals" may precede the first physical shipment by many months.

Future Outlook

Exports Will Likely Increase, Gradually

Thailand has strong fundamentals for export growth: low production costs relative to European controlled-environment facilities, a suitable climate for year-round cultivation, an experienced agricultural workforce, and a government that sees economic benefit in medical cannabis under a controlled framework. Producers already holding Thai GACP and Thai GMP, and especially those with CUMCS and EU-GMP, will be first in line when export pathways expand. Demand in Europe, Australia, and other regulated markets continues to grow, and Thailand is positioning itself as one of several credible supply countries alongside Canada, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Uruguay.

A Certification Race Is Underway

Advanced certifications are becoming a competitive differentiator. More farms are pursuing CUMCS or EU-GACP-aligned certification. A small number of pioneering manufacturers are structuring facilities specifically to attain EU-GMP. Those who began serious compliance work in 2023 to 2024 will be the established players of the Thai export space by 2026 to 2027. These investments build the commercial trust that European and Australian buyers need to commit to long-term supply relationships rather than one-off sample shipments.

Timeline Realities

For individual Thai companies, the path to meaningful export revenue is a multi-year project: design and build to compliance expectations, achieve local and international certifications, qualify products through pilot batches, establish a reputation for reliability and consistency, then scale volumes gradually. Latecomers may find buyers already have established supply relationships and higher expectations. Investing in certifications and quality now is a direct investment in long-term relevance, regardless of how specific regulatory details evolve over time.

Conclusion

Thailand's emergence in the global cannabis trade hinges on quality and compliance. The nuanced differences between Thai GACP and EU-GACP, or Thai GMP and EU-GMP, converge on a simple strategic requirement: meet the highest standard required in your target markets, not just the national minimum at home. Thai growers and manufacturers who obtain robust certifications, embed rigorous SOPs and documentation, and invest in independent laboratory testing can demonstrate to foreign regulators, buyers, and ultimately patients that they take quality seriously. That is what secures long-term contracts and shapes Thailand's reputation as a reliable medical cannabis source. DeeMED Consulting positions itself at the center of that conversation, helping foreign license holders evaluate Thai partners and helping Thai producers understand and meet the expectations of EU, UK, Australian, and other regulators.

This article was originally published on LinkedIn on December 5, 2025. Read the original post ↗