Medicinal Cannabis Use In Australia
Everything Cannabis Newsletter powered by Cannabis Warehouse Australia.
In this week's Everything Cannabis Newsletter, we'll talking about medicinal cannabis use in Australia. Medicinal cannabis is any cannabis product prescribed by a doctor to relieve the symptoms of a medical condition. While adult use (recreational) cannabis is illegal in all states and territories except ACT, medicinal cannabis is legal Australia-wide
Is medicinal cannabis legal in Australia?
The simple answer is YES!?
Australians who want access to cannabis legally must do so through the medical system. Recreational use however is still illegal in many states.
The medical approach with proper regulations by Australia has demonstrated great benefits for patients. This ensures medicinal cannabis entering the market is tested for quality and safety prior to being prescribed to patients.
In this article we'll share:
What is the definition of medicinal cannabis?
Medicinal cannabis are products prescribed by a doctor to treat symptoms of a medical condition. Adult-use (recreational) cannabis are products that don't require a prescription from a doctor.
The difference between medicinal and recreational cannabis is clarity into the regulation, source and quality of what cannabis people consume. Through a medical approach, patients will know exactly what they are consuming and the effects the prescribed medicinal cannabis will have on them. With recreational cannabis, users can purchase cannabis freely with very little knowledge about the health benefits.
The second difference between medicinal cannabis and recreational cannabis is the level of active cannabis ingredients in the product called cannabinoids. Recreational cannabis commonly has more THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) compared to therapeutic CBD (cannabidiol). Even though it may have some medicinal benefits, its psychoactive effects is not ideal for people looking to use cannabis for medical purposes.?
While both medicinal and recreational cannabis have THC and CBD, users get medical benefits from product with a higher CBD ratio. Depending on the patients medical condition, their General Practitioner's diagnosis and treatment plan, the prescribed medicinal cannabis product received may contain various levels of cannabinoids.
What types of medicinal cannabis are available in Australia?
There are three major types or categories of medicinal cannabis available for patients in Australia:
领英推荐
Depending on the type of medical condition being treated, medicinal cannabis can come in a variety of delivery forms containing one or more active ingredients.?
Active ingredients in medicinal cannabis, called cannabinoids, are compounds found in the cannabis plant that interacts with the endocannabinoid system. Among the several hundred types of cannabinoids, CBD and THC are the most well known because of its benefits for medical treatment.
The most known cannabinoid in cannabis is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a compound responsible for the psychoactive effects, famous for helping users feel 'high'. The other notable cannabinoid is CBD (cannabidiol), a non-psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant that provides medical treatment properties.
Medicinal cannabis products are unapproved therapeutic goods
The TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) are responsible for regulating access to medicinal cannabis products. They are considered to be ‘unapproved’ medicines as they are not in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).
This means that patients can not get cannabis over the counter in Australia. To get access, an General Practitioner must write a prescription for medicinal cannabis but before this happens, they will need to be approved by the TGA after applying to become an authorised prescriber.
As per the TGA guidelines, medicinal cannabis is categorised as a scheduled substance and sits under three criteria:
Summary
In summary, medicinal cannabis is legal in Australia and can be accessed through a healthcare practitioner who is certified as an Authorised Prescriber. It’s important to note that cannabis is heavily regulated by the TGA and considered a scheduled drug.
If you want to know how to access medicinal cannabis as a patient, please read our article here.
Depending on the condition being treated, patients can get prescribed CBD, THC or a CBD/THC combination medication. If you’re wondering whether medicinal cannabis might be right for your condition, the first step is to have a conversation with your doctor.
Everything Cannabis Newsletter powered by Cannabis Warehouse Australia