Medicinal cannabis products are therapeutic goods manufactured from cannabis that are used to treat a range of medical conditions.

Medicinal cannabis is different to recreational cannabis given that medicinal products must comply with the Australian standards for producing pharmaceutical-grade medicines.

Yes, medicinal cannabis can be supplied in accordance with Federal approvals, issued by the TGA for unapproved therapeutic goods, noting that each Australian state and territory have their own additional requirements relating to access to medicinal cannabis which need to be addressed.

To find out more about the approval process of unapproved therapeutic goods, click here.

Additionally, it has been legal for holders of Office of Drug Control (ODC) licences to cultivate, produce and manufacture medicinal cannabis products in Australia since 2016 through amendments to the Narcotic Drugs Act.

The cannabis plant is composed of approximately 100 “cannabinoids”. The two most prominent cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, otherwise known as THC and CBD.

Despite having a near-identical chemical make-up, their effects are very different. For further information on this, click here. Medicinal cannabis products will range in their formulations of CBD and THC – the two most common cannabinoids – with some products being exclusively one of the two, while others possess both components and may also contain other cannabinoids.

Medicinal cannabis products can be administered in a number of ways:

• Inhalation

• Spray

• Swallowing (i.e. oils, liquid capsules or tablets)

• Vaporising (i.e. heating, not burning the cannabis)

There are no restrictions imposed by the TGA on the conditions for which a medical professional may apply to access an unapproved medicinal cannabis product for their patient. Patients may be prescribed medicinal cannabis if their treating medical professional believes it is clinically appropriate for their condition. For further information on the efficacy of medicinal cannabis treating certain conditions, click here.

Head to these links on the TGA website to see all the Special Access Scheme Category A (SAS A) and Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS B) applications received for medicinal cannabis products by the TGA, categorised by condition.

The TGA provides a summary of evidence of medicinal cannabis products for the following conditions:

• Epilepsy

• Multiple sclerosis

• Chronic non-cancer pain

• Nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy

• Palliative (end-of-life) care

No. The use or cultivation of cannabis outside of the regulated medicinal purposes remains illegal, although decriminalised in certain States and Territories.

This remains the case for individuals who have been prescribed medicinal cannabis by a medical professional – it is still illegal to grow your own cannabis.