Medicinal cannabis products

Medicinal cannabis can only be prescribed for health conditions where other approved treatments have been unsuccessful - they’re not recommended as a first-line treatment for any health condition.

Medicinal cannabis is not recommended for people who:

• have a psychotic or anxiety disorder
• are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding
• have unstable heart disease.³

Research has found some medicines containing THC and CBD (or other cannabinoids):

• are effective for some people with chronic pain
• can reducing spasticity among people with multiple sclerosis
• may help with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.^{4, 5}

But evidence is inconsistent, and more research is needed to understand how effective medicinal cannabis is.

Approved and unapproved products

Prescribed medicinal cannabis products fall into two main categories – approved and unapproved. Both categories are only available with a prescription.

Approved products are registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and assessed by the TGA for quality, safety and effectiveness.

Currently there are only two approved products available in Australia:6

• Nabiximols (brand name Sativex®) contains equal parts of THC and CBD. It’s used to treat muscle stiffness and spasms (spasticity) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
• Cannabidiol (CBD) (brand name Epidyolex®) is a CBD-only oil preparation. It’s used with other epilepsy drugs to treat severe and rare forms of epilepsy in children aged 2-25 years. Epidyolex® is on the PBS for patients aged 2 years and older.

Unapproved products are not registered on the ARTG or assessed by the TGA for quality, safety and effectiveness. They can only be prescribed when other treatments have not worked for a health condition.

Over 99% of prescribed medicinal cannabis products in Australia are unapproved and there are currently more than 1,000 different unapproved medicinal cannabis products available.⁷

When taking medicinal cannabis, you may experience side effects. In general, less side effects are experienced from CBD than THC.⁸

Some common side effects from medicinal cannabis (both CBD and THC) include:

• feeling tired
• dizziness (vertigo)
• nausea and vomiting
• fever
• changes in appetite
• memory problems
• eye irritation
• dry mouth
• diarrhoea.⁸

Less commonly, side effects can be serious. THC products, especially high-THC, are more likely to cause serious side effects, including:

• depression
• paranoia
• hallucinations, psychosis
• seizures.⁸

If you’re experiencing side effects, speak with your prescriber. They can help by changing the formulation or dose.

Tolerance

Tolerance means that you need to take larger amounts to get the same effects.

You can develop a tolerance to THC if you take it regularly.⁹

If you regularly take CBD, you may also develop a tolerance, however more research is needed.¹⁰

Tolerance develops over time, meaning if you require daily dosing, you may find your treatment becomes less effective.

If this happens, speak to your prescriber. They can discuss your options, including adjusting your dose, changing products, or switching to a different medicine.

Withdrawal and dependence

Withdrawal or dependence is unlikely when using CBD-only products.^{10, 11}

But, THC products, especially high-THC products, have a higher risk for withdrawal and dependence, due to their psychoactive properties.¹²

Talk to your GP, nurse practitioner or healthcare specialist if you think medicinal cannabis might be appropriate for treating your health condition.

For more information about accessing prescribed medical cannabis visit the TGA’s webpage for patients.

Each state and territory has different laws about accessing prescribed medicinal cannabis. Find out more by visiting your local health department page below:

• ACT
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Clinical trials

You may also be able to access medicinal cannabis products through a clinical trial, if your condition is currently being studied and you meet the study inclusion criteria.

Information about current and upcoming clinical trials can be found on the Australian Clinical Trials webpage.

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Data tables: National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023 – 8. Medical cannabis: Table 8.2. [Internet]. 2024. [cited 2026 Apr 27]
2. Mertz LA, Culvert LL. Cannabinoids [e-book]. 5th ed. Vol.1 Farmington Hills, MI: Gale; 2020 [cited 2026 Mar 30].
3. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Guidance for the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia: Overview. [Internet]. 2025. [cited 2026 May 14]
4. Solmi M, De Toffol M, Kim JY, Choi MJ, Stubbs B, Thompson T, et al. Balancing risks and benefits of cannabis use: umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and observational studies. BMJ (Clinical research ed) [Internet]. 2023. [cited 2026 May 13];382:e072348.
5. Bilbao A, Spanagel R. Medical cannabinoids: a pharmacology-based systematic review and meta-analysis for all relevant medical indications. BMC Medicine [Internet]. 2022. [cited 2026 Mar 13];20(1):259.
6. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Medicinal cannabis: Information for patients. [Internet]. 2025. [cited 2026 May 7]
7. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Consultation: Reviewing the safety and regulatory oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products. [Internet]. 2025. [cited 2026 May 5]
8. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Guidance for the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia: Patient information. [Internet]. 2024. [cited 2026 May 8]
9. Colizzi M, Bhattacharyya S. Cannabis use and the development of tolerance: a systematic review of human evidence. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews [Internet]. 2018. [cited 2026 May 14];93:1–25.
10. Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. Cannabidiol (CBD) Critical Review Report. [Internet]. 2018. [cited 2026 May 14]:28.
11. Connor JP, Stjepanović D, Budney AJ, Le Foll B, Hall WD. Clinical management of cannabis withdrawal. Addiction (Abingdon, England) [Internet]. 2022. [cited 2026 Mar 14];117(7):2075–95.
12. Schlag AK, Hindocha C, Zafar R, Nutt DJ, Curran HV. Cannabis based medicines and cannabis dependence: A critical review of issues and evidence. J Psychopharmacol [Internet]. 2021. [cited 2026 May 14];35(7):773–85.