Accessing medicinal cannabis
An overview of medical cannabis access for patients and medical professionals.
Patients may be eligible to trial medicinal cannabis if they have a chronic medical condition for which conventional treatments have proven unsuitable. Eligibility also depends on whether there is clinical evidence supporting the use of medicinal cannabis for the specific condition.
Most medicinal cannabis products are considered unapproved in Australia because they are not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). This means they cannot be accessed in the same way as conventional prescription medicines — you can't simply get a script and fill it at a pharmacy.
To ensure safe and appropriate use, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has established special pathways for doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis where clinically appropriate.
Doctors can access medicinal cannabis for eligible patients through:
In some cases, doctors may also refer patients to a clinical trial or to another medical practitioner with more experience in prescribing medicinal cannabis.
Medical practitioners have two main pathways for prescribing unregistered medicines in Australia:
| Access option | Description |
|---|---|
| Special Access Scheme | For prescribing medicinal cannabis to a single patient. |
| Authorised Prescriber | For prescribing medicinal cannabis to multiple patients with similar conditions. |
| Clinical trials | Referring the patient to participate in a clinical trial, if one is available. |
| Shared care | Referring the patient to a doctor with more experience prescribing medicinal cannabis. |
Email: lambert.initiative@sydney.edu.au
The Lambert Initiative is located at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre:
94 Mallett Street, Camperdown NSW 2050
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
