Accessibility of Medical Cannabis in Australia

A step-by-step guide for Australian patients

The step-by-step instruction below is intended to assist patients in understanding how to obtain medicinal cannabis in Australia.

In Australia, medical cannabis is nearly always regarded as an illegal substance that is not a certified prescription drug. Despite this, patients can still get unregistered medical cannabis products through the three access routes listed below:

• Special access scheme (SAS)
• Authorised Prescribers
• Clinical trials

Category B of the Special Access Scheme (SAS) is by far the most popular and shortest route a qualified doctor can use to administer a medicinal cannabis product to a specific patient. This document is solely concerned with this procedure. Doctors can speak with Medbox Pharma directly about additional possibilities, such as the Authorised Prescriber route.

Medicinal cannabis is not categorized as a first-line treatment

Before you explore this therapy option, keep in mind that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recommends that medicinal cannabis not be used as a first-line treatment. This implies that, with the exception of patients in palliative care, cannabis therapy can only be administered when traditional therapies have failed or caused intolerable side effects.