You can legally get medicinal cannabis products from a pharmacy with a prescription from a doctor or a nurse practitioner. This includes vaping products used to administer medicinal cannabis.
You are breaking the law if you get medicinal cannabis or vaping products from a:
- tobacconist
- vape shop
- convenience store
- online store that is not a registered pharmacy.
This includes:
- vapes and their replacement parts (including '510' batteries)
- empty cartridges, pods or capsules designed for use with medicinal cannabis.
See your health practitioner
Your doctor or nurse practitioner will consider if medicinal cannabis is the right treatment for you.
They might decide there is not enough evidence to support use of medicinal cannabis for your condition.
Your state or territory may also have rules that affect what your doctor or nurse practitioner can prescribe. Each state and territory has different laws about medicinal cannabis.
We don't have a list of practitioners approved to prescribe medicinal cannabis.
Any registered doctor or nurse practitioner can make a choice about what they prescribe. This includes your regular general practitioner (GP).
Approval to access
If your doctor or nurse practitioner decides to prescribe an unapproved medicinal cannabis product, they must apply for approval from us. This can take a few days.
They may also need approval from your state or territory department of health.
If approved, your doctor or nurse practitioner can write you a prescription for a medicinal cannabis product.
Your doctor or nurse practitioner will need to supply proof of approval to prescribe an unapproved medicinal cannabis product to your pharmacist. This includes from us and your state or territory department of health.
They must do this before the pharmacy can fill your prescription.
Approved products
Approval from us is not needed for registered or 'approved' products. It has been determined they have appropriate quality, safety and efficacy. These products include:
Vaping devices
If you're prescribed medicinal cannabis for vaping and need a device, talk to your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist. They will need to confirm you can get a compatible device.
Fill your prescription
Take the prescription for a medicinal cannabis product to your pharmacy.
Unapproved medicinal cannabis products aren't stocked in most pharmacies. Your pharmacist will need to order it in.
For vaping products, make sure your pharmacy can get the compatible device before you pay for items.
How much it costs
You should check the price of products before buying them. The cost of treatment may be expensive in some cases.
Speak to your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist about the cost of products before they're prescribed.
We have no control over the price a private company decides to charge for their products.
For medicinal cannabis products registered and available in Australia, only Epidyolex is covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Driving and medicinal cannabis
Discuss your driving needs with your health practitioner.
It is against the law to drive if impaired by any substance or medication, including medicinal cannabis.
Many medicinal cannabis products contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC can impair your ability to drive.
You can be charged if THC is found in your body while driving. It doesn't matter if you have a prescription.
While some medicinal cannabis products don't list THC as an ingredient, they may contain traces of it.
Each state and territory has different regulations. To find out more contact your state or territory medicines and poisons regulation unit.
Bring medicinal cannabis into Australia
You can't import medicinal cannabis products from overseas retailers or websites for personal use. Even with a prescription. This includes empty devices, cartridges, pods or capsules.
You can carry a small amount of medicinal cannabis into Australia by ship or aircraft. This is a traveller's exemption.
You must have a prescription to use a traveller's exemption.
The product must match the prescription. It must be for you or a passenger in your care.
How much you can bring in on a traveller's exemption depends on if the product contains medicinal cannabis.
Bring in products containing medicinal cannabis
For products that contain medicinal cannabis, you can bring in the quantity listed on the prescription for you or the passenger in your care.
This includes pre-filled cartridges, pods, capsules and single-use vapes.
Bring in products that don't contain medicinal cannabis
For products that don't contain but administer medicinal cannabis, you can bring in up to:
- 2 devices
- 20 empty cartridges, pods or capsules.
Read more about the traveller's exemption and travelling to or from Australia with medicines and medical devices.
Why we allow access
Most medicinal cannabis products are not approved medicines in Australia.
We haven't assessed them for safety, quality or effectiveness.
But sometimes there are no approved medicines that meet a patient's needs.
That's why any doctor or nurse practitioner can apply to access unapproved medicines such as medicinal cannabis.
Read more about unapproved products and how to access them.
Report a problem or side effect
If you have an issue with a product prescribed to you, speak to your health practitioner.
You should also report an adverse event or problem (consumers).
Report a practitioner or service provider
We regulate products. We can't investigate health practitioners or service providers.
You can make a report to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency if concerned about a health practitioner.
To report a service provider such as a hospital or clinic, contact your state or territory health complaints organisation.