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A registered doctor in Australia can legally prescribe medical marijuana. These doctors must apply for TGA approvals under Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA) guidelines. They must apply the specific uses of each patient of medical cannabis. Researches and trials of Australian medical cannabis throughout the world have shown medical marijuana to have potential in treatment.
The treatment might be of symptoms and conditions associated with childhood epilepsy, nausea, anxiety, chronic pain, etc. It might also cover a huge range of different neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders. Under the TGA Special Access Scheme, some of these conditions are approved. However, depending on each individual patient numerous side effects may also apply with any medication. You can also further discuss this with your doctor.
Is Medical Marijuana Legal In Australia?
Medical marijuana is federally legal in Australia. The Australian government has amended laws in October 2016 for facilitating the legal prescription of marijuana medicines. Since legalization, the TGA has given approval to more than 46,000 medical marijuana applications (May 2020).
Those patients who have the desire of accessing legal medical marijuana can go to their marijuana specialist doctor or GP. The prescribing marijuana doctor will do the assessment of each individual case for suitability with supporting evidence. He will also do the processing of the application of medical marijuana patients. He will do it via Special Access Scheme (SAS) pathways.
Authorized Prescriber Can Prescribe The Medical Cannabis
Medical marijuana is eligible for prescribing only via the Authorized Prescriber Scheme. It is where the medical marijuana doctor is holding the approval for prescribing. He can prescribe medical marijuana to patients within his specialty i.e. nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, anxiety, and pain. Very infrequently the utilization of this pathway happens with most medical marijuana prescriptions. It includes those prescriptions whose processing takes place through Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS-B).
Medical practitioners process single applications through the SAS-B pathway for medical marijuana patients. They do so on the basis of their unregistered product and the particular condition that is going to be prescribed.
Medical Marijuana Is Federally Legal In Australia
However, medical cannabis is federally legal in Australia. Still, the majority of products are unregistered medicines. This means that the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) has not done the evaluation of products. It has done so by taking into consideration the efficacy and safety to make them registered as a medicine in Australia.
It means there is no private health cover or no subsidies through Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. If the product which has been prescribed to the patient has not got listed on the ARTG. State regulations and approvals with this medicinal range can still apply.
In the coming years, Australia can have the expectation of seeing an expansion in the registration of medical marijuana formulations.
Legal Medical Marijuana in Australia
Medical marijuana is absolutely legal in Australia. However, sources of marijuana that have not been prescribed by a medical professional are still illegal. THC is a psychoactive compound in CBD cannabis oil. The classification of it is as Schedule B controlled substance and CBD hemp oil. The classification of other popularly recognized compounds in marijuana is as a Schedule 4 drug that has no psychoactivity. It is illegal to possess any compounds without a prescription.
What States Are Having Medical Cannabis?
All states in Australia are having legal pathways for accessing medical marijuana. It is because of the amendment to the Narcotic Drugs Act in 2016. The pathways for accessing medical marijuana are similar across the country. Patients of medical marijuana can engage their medical cannabis clinic in Australia or general practitioner (GP) for seeing their eligibility for medical marijuana oil. There are numerous nuances to the laws in different states regarding medical marijuana. It dictates the application required at a state level.
Medical Marijuana Trials In Australia
A huge range of mood disorders has also shown potential positive outcomes in the trials of medical marijuana. There is some evidence that shows that symptoms of mood disorders might be managed with medical marijuana and CBD oil formulations. Some outcomes are also there that have shown dose-dependent outcomes. There is a need for further research into how the application of medical marijuana can happen. It is the case in the treatment of psychological and mood disorders.
Researches show that medical marijuana might have advantages in other settings. For instance autoimmune conditions like Irritable Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis.
The effects of medical marijuana, particularly CBD oil has got well documented. These were in the reduction of seizures for pediatric epilepsy patients, and for adults. In addition to this, there are some patients with medical marijuana who may find relief from sleep disturbances. It is the case with the application of medical marijuana formulations.