Australia’s peak medical and pharmacy bodies have issued a joint warning over what they describe as the "excessive" and poorly regulated prescribing of medical cannabis, urging the federal government to implement urgent reforms, reports AFP.
In a submission to a government inquiry released Tuesday, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia criticized the country’s rapidly expanding medicinal cannabis industry, citing concerns over patient safety, clinical standards, and commercial exploitation.
“Urgent action is needed to ensure medicinal cannabis is prescribed, dispensed, and regulated in the same manner as other registered drugs of dependence,” said AMA President Dr. Danielle McMullen.
While the AMA acknowledged credible evidence supporting the use of cannabis for conditions like epilepsy, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and multiple sclerosis, it warned that the system is being misused. “There is little or no evidence base for many of the conditions it is currently prescribed for—such as anxiety, insomnia, or depression,” McMullen noted.
Since legalisation in 2016, the medicinal cannabis market in Australia has surged, with Australians estimated to have spent up to $500 million on legal cannabis products in 2024, according to industry analysts. However, doctors argue that the industry is now driven more by profit than medical necessity.
The submission also highlighted the growing strain on emergency departments, with doctors reporting increased cases of cannabis-induced psychosis and related complications. “Alarmingly, doctors are seeing medicinal cannabis use in people with pre-existing psychotic conditions,” the AMA said.
One of the most pressing concerns raised involves the use of telehealth platforms to prescribe cannabis products, often without proper clinical assessments. “These models are being exploited as commercial pathways for unapproved products,” the AMA warned.
A 2025 investigation by The Age newspaper revealed that a single doctor working for cannabis firm Montu issued 72,000 prescriptions to 10,000 patients over two years—many after consultations lasting less than 10 minutes.
With the global medical cannabis market projected to exceed $65 billion by 2030, Australian health authorities are now facing increasing pressure to balance market growth with tighter regulation to protect public health.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
