OCTOBER 1 , 2020
C I T Y H U B SY D N E Y. C O M . AU @CityHubSydney
Big changes are on the horizon for cannabis products in Australia and New Zealand
BY ALLISON HORE he Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) has announced it intends to make CBD products available over the counter as early as next year. This comes as our neighbours across the Tasman debate a referendum to legalise marijuana for recreational purposes. CBD (or cannabidiol) is a non-intoxicating component of the hemp plant, currently listed as a Schedule 4 “prescription-only medicine”. Some research suggests the substance can be useful in treating conditions such as epilepsy, anxiety, pain and insomnia while carrying few, if any, risks of major side effects or addiction. For a cannabis product to be deemed legal in Australia, the CBD component
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of the oil must be more than 98 percent concentration. This means only 2 percent of the product can contain other cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance that gives users a high. Currently, CBD is only available with a prescription, and that prescription must be approved by the TGA through their Special Access Scheme. In 2019, the TGA granted 25,182 applications from doctors to prescribe the drug. It is estimated that more than 600,000 patients have been prescribed CBD since its legalisation. By down scheduling the substance to a Schedule 3 poison, rather than a Schedule 4 one, the TGA is set to make CBD available for medical use without a prescription.
AUSTRALIA SLOW OF THE MARK
Despite more doctors getting behind the treatment, it can be difficult for patients to get a prescription. According to a survey by Melbournebased medicinal cannabis company Montu, only 5 percent of GPs are prescribing medicinal cannabis despite more than 3 quarters of Australians supporting it. Research from the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney suggests Australia is lagging behind other Western countries when it comes to embracing CBD products. In North America, the UK and most of Europe, CBD products are readily available online and over the counter in health food stores and pharmacies.
But the tides are turning. The TGA has flagged making CBD based medication available over the counter, without prescription, as early as 2021. Lambert Initiative researcher Professor Iain McGregor said he supports moves which will make CBD more accessible. “CBD use without a prescription is an unprecedented global phenomenon. We are entering a period that is a huge exercise in self-medication,” he said. Sharon Bentley, Managing Director of Medical Cannabis Australia, told City Hub while she thinks the interim decision is “a step in the right direction” it’s “not as great as it appears”. “The TGA has proposed a maximum daily dosage of 60mg per day,” she said. Continued on page 2