There’s a lot of activity on the Australian cannabusiness scene, but what is happening at the patient end of things? Statistics from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) indicate significant growth in approvals, but it wouldn’t even be touching the sides of potential demand.

Below are the numbers of approvals for unapproved products during 2019 via Category B of the Special Access Scheme (SAS).

The doctor-dope drought has broken.

Last year, news outlets reported that medicinal cannabis was “pretty much inaccessible”.

In May, The New Daily reported on a study that found few Australian doctors had the confidence and knowledge to prescribe the drug.

But new figures from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) show medical cannabis prescriptions are snowballing.

Read entire article here.

We have noticed a significant increase in the number of companies that are focused on the international cannabis opportunity during the last two years and this is a trend that we are bullish on.

Submissions for an Australian Senate inquiry into current patient access barriers to medicinal cannabis close today.

Announced in November 2019, the wide-ranging inquiry is delving into issues including the appropriateness of the current regulatory regime, delays in accessing products and will also examine international best practice models for patient access.

At the time of writing, eleven submissions had been noted; including from:

Possession and home cultivation of cannabis become legal in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) at the end of the month, but a lack of provisions to establish an approved marijuana supply chain likely means the area’s illicit market will continue unabated. The ACT, home to Canberra, Australia’s national capital, passed measures in June that make it the first of the country’s jurisdictions to legalize cannabis for personal use.

Australia’s Morrison Government has granted Major Project Status to medical cannabis ventures in the states of Victoria and Queensland.

The status has been awarded to Hydroganics for a $333 million facility in South- East Queensland and Canopy Growth for a $70 million project in regional Victoria.

Once at full production, the Hydroganics facility at a secret location on the Sunshine Coast is expected to produce annual revenue of $366 million, with 90 per cent of that figure from overseas exports. The facility is expected to support 140 ongoing jobs.

Australia’s Medical Cannabis Users Association (MCUA) has condemned recent raids at the homes of fellow activists in the state of  Queensland.

According to MCUA, the home of 66 year old disability pensioner Maggie O’Rance was raided on Wednesday. After allegedly finding a gram of cannabis and a pipe, Ms O’Rance was charged by police with related offences.

MCUA says Ms. O’Rance had been trying to get a prescription for cannabis but has been unable to and subsequently turned to the black market.

Also on that day, the home of cannabis advocate and educator Dr. Deb Waldron was reportedly raided, but there were no further details on the action or if any charges were laid.

Australia’s Senate voted last week to establish an inquiry into barriers to patients accessing medicinal cannabis – and there are plenty of them.

A motion by Greens leader Richard Di Natale sought a wide-ranging inquiry covering issues including:

Barriers confronting patients trying to access medicinal cannabis in Australia will be scrutinised in a Parliamentary inquiry into how the drug is regulated.

The Greens said the medicinal cannabis system is “broken” and in urgent need of reform as their push for an inquiry into access to the drug won support in the Senate on Thursday.

But the Federal government has rejected the need for review saying it continues to enable access to medicinal cannabis for those in need while maintaining safeguards of its use.

Good news, Western Aussies!

Western Australia has substantially chilled out with regard to its medical cannabis rules.

The general practitioners will be permitted to write prescriptions for medical cannabis, whereas they were previously obliged to refer patients for treatment with a specialist to qualify for a prescription for the drug. The Department of Health reviewed three years of prescription-related data before rendering the decision.

Although the rules have been relaxed for most, not all patients will enjoy the increased access to cannabinoid-based treatment options. Patients with a history of drug abuse will still need a specialist’s approval to obtain a prescription for medical cannabis, as will patients under the age of 16.