Medicinal cannabis: what you need to know
Information and resources for consumers and health professionals
For consumers, check out Medicinal cannabis, explained
Key points
- Medicinal cannabis products are treated and regulated as medicines in Australia.
- There is some evidence to support the use of medicinal cannabis in conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy in children and young adults, chronic non-cancer pain, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and palliative care.
- There are two medicinal cannabis products approved for use in Australia: nabiximols (Sativex) for the treatment of moderate to severe spasticity in people with MS and a cannabidiol (Epidyolex) as adjunctive therapy of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome for patients 2 years of age and older.
- Other medicinal cannabis products are available in Australia but they are unapproved which means that prescribers must use pathways to special access via the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
- Each state and territory has slightly different laws and regulations governing access to medicinal cannabis products.
- The TGA maintains a list of state and territory contacts.
Cannabidiol (Epidyolex) now on PBS for Dravet syndrome
On 1 May 2021, oral liquid cannabidiol, 100 mg per mL, 100 mL (Epidyolex) was listed on the PBS General Schedule (Section 85) as Authority Required (immediate assessment) for the treatment of Dravet syndrome – also known as severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEI).
The new listing for oral liquid cannabidiol gives prescribers an additional treatment option to reduce seizure frequency for patients with Dravet syndrome that is resistant to current treatment. Cannabidiol provides for some patients an improvement in efficacy over standard care.
Learn more about the listing.
Update regarding low-dose CBD preparations
On 15 December 2020, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced that low-dose cannabidiol (CBD) products, up to a maximum of 150 mg/day for use in adults, can be supplied over-the-counter by a pharmacist, without requiring a prescription. The decision limits supply to products approved by the TGA and included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).
For more regulatory information about medicinal cannabis including the final decision and safety review conducted to inform the decision, go to the TGA website.
Answering your questions about medicinal cannabis
There is a lot of interest in the use of cannabis as a medicine. You, or someone you know, may be considering using medicinal cannabis and have questions about medicinal cannabis products.
- How and in what situations can they be used?
- Is medicinal cannabis legal?
- Where can it be accessed?
NPS MedicineWise has developed easy-to-read information about medicinal cannabis products to help you find answers.
Read more about medicinal cannabis
Download or print our frequently asked questions and infographic
Resources to support prescribers
Someone who is living with a health condition that has symptoms that are refractory to standard approved treatments may wish, along with their health professionals, to consider trialling medicinal cannabis products. Such conditions may include:
- chronic non-cancer pain
- epilepsy in children or young adults
- multiple sclerosis (MS)
- nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy
- a condition requiring palliative care.
NPS MedicineWise has developed a series of resources to inform prescribers of the current evidence and to assist with the prescribing process.
These resources are based on the TGA medicinal cannabis guidance documents
Australian Prescriber has published an article on Prescribing medicinal cannabis, (including a podcast) and a new drugs summary on cannabidiol for epilepsy (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome).
Download or print the process flowchart or evidence summaries
Prescribing guidance documents (for NSW patients within current regulatory frameworks and clinical practice) are available from the Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE).
Resources to support pharmacists
Pharmacists from across Australia often call Medicine Line to ask questions about how to access, store and dispense medicinal cannabis products.
NPS MedicineWise has developed a series of resources to inform and assist pharmacists in streamlining the dispensing process for prescription medicinal cannabis products.
Australian Prescriber has published an article on Prescribing medicinal cannabis, (including a podcast) and a new drugs summary on cannabidiol for epilepsy (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome).
Download or print pharmacist resources
Current evidence
The TGA holds a list of bibliographies of major studies, including randomised controlled trials, used in developing their clinical guidance documents.
Prescribing guidance
The NSW Cannabis Medicines Prescribing Guidance is a suite of resources intended to assist medical practitioners in their prescribing and management of cannabis medicines.
This information is for NSW patients within current regulatory frameworks and clinical practice.
Research institutes
State and territory health department information
- ACT: Medicinal Cannabis Scheme
- Northern Territory: Therapeutic medicines containing cannabinoids
- NSW: Cannabis medicines
- Queensland: Patient information for accessing medicinal cannabis
- South Australia: Patient access to medicinal cannabis
- Tasmania: Unregistered medical cannabis products access flowchart
- Victoria: Medicinal cannabis
- Western Australia: Cannabis-based products