Cannabis in Australia

Australia runs one of the world's busiest prescription cannabis markets without legalizing recreational use. Medicinal cannabis has been lawful to prescribe since 2016, but only two cannabis medicines, Epidyolex (cannabidiol) and Sativex (nabiximols), are registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Almost everything patients actually use, from dried flower to oils, is an unapproved product that a doctor accesses through the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Special Access Scheme Category B, for one patient at a time, or as an Authorised Prescriber for a class of patients. Pharmacies dispense the medicine, and most products containing THC are Schedule 8 controlled drugs.

Access has become quick and largely online. Telehealth clinics such as Alternaleaf, Candor and Medio assess patients by phone or video for fees from about A$29 to A$99, while in-person clinics such as IvyMed in Adelaide, Releaf in Brisbane and Melbourne, and Naturaleaf in Sydney charge more but may attract Medicare rebates. Specialist dispensaries such as Astrid in Melbourne, Folium in Sydney and MedWest in Perth fill scripts and post them nationwide. Products are not subsidized under the PBS, except Epidyolex for certain epilepsies since May 2021, so patients pay the full retail price. Low-dose CBD was down-scheduled to pharmacist-only in 2021, but no product meeting those rules had been approved by 2026.

Regulators have tightened scrutiny. In July 2025 the Medical Board of Australia and Ahpra published guidance warning against questionnaire-only prescribing, very short telehealth consults and business models that prescribe and dispense a single product; the Pharmacy Board followed in September 2025 with guidance on counselling, quantities and prescription monitoring. Prescription medicines cannot be advertised to the public, which is why clinics speak of alternative or plant-based therapies, and the TGA has fined or sued several companies, including a Federal Court case against Montu Group and Alternaleaf over alleged advertising. The TGA consulted on the framework in August 2025, published its response in February 2026 and, in its 2026–27 business plan, committed to examine reform of how unapproved cannabis products are accessed; no dates had been set by September 2026.

Outside a prescription, cannabis stays illegal in every state and the Northern Territory. The exception is the Australian Capital Territory, where since January 31, 2020 adults may possess up to 50 g of dried cannabis and grow two plants each, although selling remains a crime and federal law is unchanged. Websites and social accounts offering THC vapes or edibles by delivery are illegal sellers and are not listed in our directory.