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Medicinal Cannabis in Australia

Click on a state to see it’s status.

WA

  • Access approval via TGA
  • Prescribers – any medical practitioner. Specialist approval needed for children under 16 and people with a history of drug abuse.
  • Most medicinal cannabis products are Schedule 8 (S8) controlled medicines, but products containing CBD only are Schedule 4 (S4), prescription only medicines.
  • TGA and state approval process is needed for S8 products
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NT

  • Access via TGA process
  • Prescribers – Specialists & GP’s based in the NT
  • Notification to NT Chief Health Officer for successful treatment exceeding two months

 

Pathways available to prescribers include:

  • Special Access Scheme (SAS) Category A & B – used for individual patient approvals
  • Authorised Prescriber Scheme–prescriber needs to demonstrate clinical expertise in the use of medicinal cannabis.

 

Both application pathways require strong evidence of the medicine’s effectiveness compared with alternative safe and readily available medicines.

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QLD

  • Access via TGA single online application
  • Queensland medical practitioners (and medical practitioners based in other States prescribing to Queensland patients) can prescribe schedule 4 and schedule 8 medicinal cannabis products without the requirement for a State health approval
  • Special Access Scheme
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SA

  • Access approval via TGA
  • Access through the Authorised Prescriber Scheme and the Special Access Scheme or if taking part in a clinical trial.
  • Prescribers – Specialists and general practitioners
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NSW

  • Access via TGA online single application
  • Prescribers – NSW medical practitioners can legally prescribe a cannabis medicine if they believe it is an appropriate treatment option for their patient’s health condition
  • State approval needed in specific circumstances for S8 products
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VIC

  • Access via TGA online single application
  • Prescribers – any medical practitioners can prescribe medicinal cannabis
  • Compassionate Access Scheme for Victorian children suffering from severe intractable epilepsy
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ACT

  • Access via TGA online single application
  • Prescribers – ACT medical practitioners need to apply for both ACT and TGA approvals to prescribe medicinal cannabis
  • Dispensing pharmacist to seek TGA and the Office of Drug Control approval to obtain medicinal cannabis
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TAS

  • Access via TGA online single application and state approval process
  • Prescribers – specialists only can prescribe medicinal cannabis
  • Controlled Access Scheme
  • Dispensed from Tasmanian hospital pharmacy
Read More

Australia

  • Legalised Nov 2016
  • Medicinal use only
  • Access via medical prescription
  • Limited domestic production
  • Can import/export

Search here to see how the rest of the world does it.

  • Australia
  • China
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • Canada
  • Israel
  • United States of America
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Germany
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
Australia
  • Legalised Nov 2016
  • Medicinal use only
  • Access via medical prescription
  • Limited domestic production
  • Can import/export
China
  • Not legal
Indonesia
  • Not legal
Japan
  • Not legal
  • Approved clinical trials for the cannabis compound Epidiolex, a CBD oral solution used in treating people with epilepsy.
Canada
  • Legalised in 2001 (medicinal)
  • Legalised Oct 2018 (recreational)
  • Medicinal & recreational use
  • Access via medical prescription
  • Extensive domestic production
  • Can import/major exporter
Israel
  • Legalised in 1990’s
  • Medicinal use
  • Medical prescription
  • Extensive domestic production
  • Can import/export pending
United States of America
  • Federally illegal
  • 31 states legal/15 states CBD only
  • Doctor licenses patients to access
  • Domestic productions varies from state to state
  • No importation/exportation
Spain
  • First legal medicinal use 2005
  • Illegal in public spaces, legal for personal use only
  • Medicinal & recreational use
  • Legal to buy/sell seeds only
  • No importation/exportation
United Kingdom
  • Legalisation expected Autumn 2018
  • Extremely limited medicinal use via special approval
  • Access via medical prescription
  • No domestic production
  • Expected importation
Italy
  • Legalised Jan 2013
  • Medicinal use
  • Access via medical prescription
  • Government domestic production
  • Can import
Germany
  • Legal since March 2017
  • Medicinal use
  • Access via medical prescription
  • No domestic production yet
  • Can import
Netherlands
  • Legal since 2003
  • Medicinal use
  • Access via medical prescription
  • Significant domestic production
  • Can import/major exporter
New Zealand
  • Legalised Dec 2017
  • Medicinal use only
  • Access via medical prescription
  • No domestic production
  • Can import

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