Information for Medicinal Cannabis Patients 

Medicinal cannabis was legalized in all states of Australia in 2016. This allows all patients to carry their medicinal cannabis products interstate with no limitations to any certain presentation or travel method. It is important that the patient carries the appropriate paperwork referencing the medication carried. This can include the following:

• The e-script or physical written prescription for each product
• Personal Identification matching the name on the prescription/s
• A letter outlining the prescribed products and dosage of each
• Your TGA approval letter (for those that have gone through the SAS-B pathway)

Additionally, it is important that the products remain in their original package with the pharmacy label intact to avoid any further complications.  Despite being legal, it is normal for travelling with your medicinal cannabis to come with some additional preparation and steps. Security measures such as sniffer dogs or bag searches could lead to further questions. However, in possession of the listed documents, a patient should experience few issues.

Carrying your prescriptions and additional paperwork should enable you to medicate during your travels. For products such as oil, this is simple. For any vapourised product, it is important that patients abide by the smoking regulations in place and seek a private area to ensure that no one is affected by the vapor.

For international travel, you MUST research the legislation regarding possession of medicinal cannabis (or non-medical cannabis) before travelling the specific country/ies you plan to visit.

Each patient’s experience gaining access to medicinal cannabis will be different based on a number of factors. These include:

• whether the patient goes through a GP or a Medicinal Cannabis Clinic;
• whether the patient’s doctor obtains approval under the Special Access Scheme (SAS-B) or authorisation under the Authorised Prescriber (AP) Scheme to prescribe medicinal cannabis;
• the presentation of the product that the patient is prescribed;
• the patient’s medical history and medical condition;
• the patient’s experience with cannabis; and
• the dispensing pharmacy the patient uses

The medicinal cannabis industry is fairly new and ever-changing. For information about what to expect along your journey, please see the below links:

https://honahlee.com.au/

https://www.medicinalcannabis.nsw.gov.au/

https://www.health.vic.gov.au/drugs-and-poisons/medicinal-cannabis-data-and-resources

https://www.greenchoices.com.au/

Other than seeking legal pathways for medicating using medicinal cannabis, there are a multitude of reasons patients would want to switch from black market cannabis to regulated medicinal cannabis.

However, it is important to recognise that the medicinal cannabis pathway is riddled with many financial, regulatory and other practical hurdles.

Many GPs and nurse practitioners are not comfortable or trained in prescribing medicinal cannabis. If they are, the cost of recurring appointments is a key factor in a decision about whether to switch from black market product.

For patients who are unable to find a suitable GP or nurse practitioner, they may seek treatment through a private cannabis clinic but each cannabis clinic’s pricing varies significantly, and a substantial proportion of the cost of a consultation is not rebated through Medicare. Lastly, medicinal cannabis products are expensive and not on the PBS. This is a barrier for many patients looking for a more affordable avenue. From a legal standpoint, the Schedule 8 drug laws are comprehensive and rigid. This can delay the obtaining of medication, deterring some patients in desperate need.

Although these factors can deter some individuals, there are many reasons patients are making the swap, the most significant being quality control. “Street” cannabis is not controlled by any regulatory bodies, meaning there are no standards or testing requirements. Like any drug, without regulatory standards and testing, the contents are essentially unknown. It also means cannabinoids within the product are unable to be measured, which increases the risk of harm and inconsistent therapeutic benefit

Contamination of black market cannabis  also poses serious risk. This can be in the form of pesticides or microbes, and can  be particularly harmful to immunocompromised individuals, potentially exposing them to harmful pathogens. Combustion of the product (e.g. through vapourisation) does not eliminate these product contaminants. Diluents are also present in many black market cannabis products. This can be in the form of tobacco, glass beads, sand and lead. This is done to bulk up the amount of product and reduce costs to the illegal growers. 

Therapeutics Goods Order No. 93 imposes mandatory quality testing on all medicinal cannabis products suppplied in Australia, including limits to microbial and pesticide counts in medicinal cannabis products. 

Seeking medicinal cannabis through legal pathways not only provides patients with access to high quality products; it also allows patients access to a range of different support systems. Whether the patient is prescribed through a GP, nurse practitioner or clinic, they are able to seek advice and support as they continue on their treatment plan, including optimising the products and their dosages to provide the best therapeutic response while managing side effects.

https://www.greenchoices.com.au/medical-cannabis/street-grown-vs-medical-cannabis#:~:text=Unknown%20Potency-,Quality%20Control,impose%20standards%20or%20testing%20requirements.

There are several clinical trials currently running in Australia in relation to medicinal cannabis. The focus of these studies is varied, as well as the eligibility criteria. Below is a link to the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry to studies specifically focusing on cannabis:

https://www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/anzctr_feed/result?searchText=cannabis&purposeOfStudy=&recruitmentStatus=Recruiting&phase=&ethicsApproval=Yes&gender=&healthyVolunteers=&recruitmentSites=&healthConditions=&ageGroup=&recruitmentCountries=Australia&studyType=&conditionCategory=All&conditionCode=All&paging=20#