A provisional evaluation of Australia's medical cannabis program

In 2016, the Australian Government legislated to allow cannabis to be prescribed to patients as an unapproved medicine under the special access provisions of the Therapeutic Goods Act. This paper compares the Australian regulatory approach with other national approaches, outlines the main provisions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The International journal of drug policy 2023-12, Vol.122, p.104210-104210, Article 104210
Main Authors: Graham, Myfanwy, Chiu, Vivian, Stjepanović, Daniel, Hall, Wayne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adverse events
Health policy
Medical cannabis
Medicines regulation
Special access scheme
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Summary:In 2016, the Australian Government legislated to allow cannabis to be prescribed to patients as an unapproved medicine under the special access provisions of the Therapeutic Goods Act. This paper compares the Australian regulatory approach with other national approaches, outlines the main provisions of the Special Access Scheme for medical cannabis, describes how the program has evolved since 2017, includes an analysis of adverse events reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and discusses the barriers that remain for patients who wish to access medical cannabis. It assesses how well the Australian program has addressed the challenges of providing patients with easier access to medical cannabis while ensuring that high-quality products are used safely and effectively under medical guidance.
ISSN:0955-3959
1873-4758
DOI:10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104210