Buying of medicinal Cannabis in Australia

Medicinal cannabis is legal to be purchased in Australia but it is a controlled medicine product by the Australian TGA. Furthermore, it can only be obtained legally after being prescribed by an ‘Authorised Prescriber’ AHPRA registered Australian practitioner who has appropriate approval.

However, the medical cannabis that is sold to the population online through various websites cannot be assured of their consistency or safety and therefore may sometimes contain toxic or illegal substances. Therefore, it is up to the buyers to ensure that they obtain the products from credible and trusted sources.

Buying of medicinal Cannabis in Australia is offered through several approved cannabis products suppliers that are currently approved by the TGA and available to the consumers in the Australia; Nabiximols/Sativex that contain both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) which has proven to be effective in treating a range of conditions. And cannabidiol/Epidyolex which is prepared with CBD only. It was in early 2021 when the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) allowed Australians to acquire medicinal cannabis over the counter.

Besides, it can be obtained from some Australian pharmacies but this is in its infancy. TGA only allowed the sale of cannabidiol of low-dose more recently but it is difficult to find it at the local chemists. The presence of low-dose CBD over the counter came to be after the TGA permitted the sale of the product upon a prescription .

One can also buy medicinal cannabis online through various product suppliers websites such as (https://balnce.health/) (https://www.alternaleaf.com.au/) that provide more information on buying and prices of the products. Such online platforms are equipped with care teams and expert doctors who evaluate if medical cannabis is the right option for their clients. Moreover, the website takes the client through a process before selling the product.

First, there is the pre-screening where the practitioner establishes if the client is eligible for the consultation. The expert team takes the client through the consultation process to understand the requirements and come up with the treatment plan that suits the needs through telehealth consultation.

After the consultations, the delivery of the product follows which is either delivered to a patient’s home or the patient can collect the product at a location that is convenient to the.

It is a relatively simple process to buy Medicinal Cannabis in Australia as long as you have a prescription from a trained and authorised doctor. Besides, one does not have to physically move to the expert practitioners or pharmacies to obtain the prescription or the product as there are various online platforms that provide telehealth services.

The Australian laws prohibits buying of marijuana either online or physically without a prescription or speaking to an approved practitioner. The buyers of the products mainly suffer from various conditions such as sleeping disorders, chronic pain, inflammatory disorders, anxiety, and depression.

The cost of the medication will vary depending on the product from the product supplier and the amount required based on the doctor prescription for your condition but on average, people spend about $200 to $400/month.

For the cost per quantity, it mainly depends on the formulation of the product. For instance,a week’s worth of treatment for pain management for a patient would come to around $33. For six months of treatment, depending on the dosage prescribed, this cost equates to around $800.

The cost of medicinal cannabis is usually cheaper than the black market cannabis as the competition by the sellers have increased over the time leading to substantial decrease in cost. In addition, an individual can choose whether to buy the medicinal cannabis either online or physically depending on the preference and cost as long as there is the prescription from the doctor.

However, not all patients are eligible or present with conditions that will alleviate the health conditions of the patient; only a doctor or Nurse Practitioners can prescribe the product and there is lots of regulatory  paperwork required by the government that is involved before legally being allowed to buy the products.

References

Benson, M. J., Abelev, S. V., Connor, S. J., Corte, C. J., Martin, L. J., Gold, L. K., … & McGregor, I. S. (2020). Medicinal cannabis for inflammatory bowel disease: a survey of perspectives, experiences, and current use in Australian patients. Crohn’s & Colitis 360, 2(2), otaa015.

https://www.alternaleaf.com.au/

https://www.auscannabisclinics.com.au/buy-medical-marijuana-australia/

https://cannatrek.com/your-medicinal-cannabis-journey/costs/