Australia’s Medicinal Cannabis Product Landscape

In Australia, the realm of medicinal cannabis has expanded significantly, offering access to more than 400 legal medical cannabis products sanctioned by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Additionally, there exists a range of products that medical professionals prescribe through compounding pharmacies. However, due to the novelty of medical cannabis in Australia and strict regulations prohibiting its advertising, patients and healthcare providers often struggle to navigate the available options.

This article aims to provide a foundational understanding of medical cannabis products while also furnishing a comprehensive list of products accessible to patients via the TGA’s cannabis access pathways.

Please note that the lists presented below offer only a brief overview of the products. For in-depth information, including pricing, product filtering, and search capabilities, you will need to register on Catalyst for patients.

It is crucial to emphasize that this piece of writing is not crafted for promotional endeavors. The content herein, along with the inventory of products listed, serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking information about medical cannabis. It aims to assist medical cannabis patients in better understanding the range of available products, offering a reference list they can discuss with their healthcare provider, and aiding those whose physicians are unfamiliar with medical cannabis. It’s important to acknowledge that medical cannabis does not yield consistent results for everyone, carries contraindications, and may induce side effects. The decision regarding the suitability of medical cannabis for your specific situation should be made collaboratively between you and your healthcare provider.

“In this piece, we’ll delve into the following areas:

1. The variety of medical cannabis products accessible.
2. The range of cannabinoid combinations, such as THC vs. CBD.
3. Determining the most suitable medical cannabis product for your needs.
4. A preliminary overview of the forthcoming list of medical cannabis products.
5. Catalog of Medicinal Cannabis Offerings in Australia”

“What varieties of medical marijuana products are available?”

When considering cannabis, many individuals immediately associate it with smoking the plant’s flower or bud. In the realm of legal medical cannabis, physicians may recommend flower products for vaporization. Nevertheless, the predominant form of medical cannabis product is typically an oil. It’s important to note that in Australia, there are various other medical cannabis product options that doctors can prescribe, listed here in alphabetical order:

1. Capsules
2. Chewables
3. Cream
4. Crystals
5. Flower (including granulated flower)
6. Lozenges
7. Oil
8. Oil vapes
9. Spray
10. Wafers

Understanding the various product types is crucial, as they exhibit distinct onset, effect, and impairment timelines.

For instance, oils may have a slower ‘onset of action,’ meaning they take longer to produce an effect, but their ‘duration of action’ is typically longer. In contrast, smoking and vaping can be detrimental to lung health. Consequently, medical professionals often initiate patients with an oil-based treatment because it offers prolonged relief from symptoms compared to vaping, ensuring a more extended period of symptom management.

What combinations of cannabinoids (such as THC and CBD) are on offer?

The comprehensive response to this inquiry encompasses a wide array of elements. When individuals engage in discussions regarding medicinal cannabis, CBD oil frequently takes center stage. The term ‘CBD oil’ can be somewhat misleading, as it implies an oil consisting solely of CBD. Nevertheless, there exists a variety of CBD oil types, each distinguished by the specific cannabinoid composition within the oil.

Authorized medical cannabis offerings encompass:

1. Full spectrum
2. Broad spectrum
3. Isolates
4. Terpsolates

This indicates that medical practitioners can prescribe products containing:

• Solely CBD
• Exclusively THC
• A combination of CBD and THC
• A balanced ratio of CBD and THC
• The full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes present in the original plant, including notable cannabinoids like CBC, CBG, and CBN
• A CBD or THC exclusive product infused with re-added terpenes

Previously, identifying the categorization of these products posed a challenge, but now, you can easily access this information through our cannabis medicine database, Catalyst.

To gain a deeper understanding of the various forms of CBD oil, we invite you to explore our comprehensive article on the subject.

What’s the most suitable medical cannabis product for my needs?

We frequently receive inquiries such as, ‘Which medical cannabis products are most effective for alleviating anxiety?’ or ‘What cannabis product is most suitable for managing pain?’

We understand that both CBD and THC possess distinct therapeutic attributes, with some overlapping properties. Moreover, we recognize that CBD can offer significant benefits for specific conditions, like epilepsy. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the effects of cannabis often vary from person to person.

Because cannabis exerts its effects uniquely on each individual, determining the ‘best’ product type for a particular individual or condition is rarely straightforward. The optimal choice typically emerges through collaboration between you and your healthcare provider over time.

A Compilation of Approved Medicinal Cannabis Products in Australia

Before delving into the individual listings, there are several important considerations to bear in mind:

1. Prices are subject to frequent changes and, as such, are not provided in this list.
2. Within the list, many of the products may appear similar. To distinguish them, it is necessary to refer to the comprehensive product specifications or Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) for additional details.
3. Certain products may contain higher concentrations of minor cannabinoids such as CBC, CBN, or CBG.

To gain further insights into each of these aspects and to access condition or symptom-specific product reviews, we recommend visiting our cannabis medicine database, Catalyst.

After reviewing the products, if you are seeking a local medical practitioner, you can utilize our tool to locate cannabis doctors or nurse practitioners in your area in Australia.

Medicinal Cannabis Products Approved in Australia