Queensland has seen a huge hike in medicinal cannabis prescriptions, with demand tripling that of states like NSW since legalisation was passed.
Nearly 68,000 prescriptions for medicinal cannabis products were issued last year, more than double the prescriptions filled in 2020. Rhys Cohen from the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Association says Queensland is making huge leaps in this health field.
“We’ve seen exponential growth,” he said.
“Since COVID and the PBS coverage of telehealth, it’s likely a lot of those patients are from other states as well that are seeing Queensland prescribers virtually.”
Medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2016, with over 300 products and therapeutic applications — from oral liquids to oils, dried flowers and capsules — available with a doctor’s prescription.
Experts say Australians are now opting for regulated medicine over black market cannabis products, fuelling the boom.
“We are seeing a large group of medical practitioners who are moving over to cannabis and that stigma is starting to fall away,” Nicholas Quinn from the Cannabis Centre said.
The drug has been used to assist with conditions like chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
But medicinal cannabis is not yet covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Those seeking medicinal cannabis products are paying hundreds and even thousands for certain pharmaceutical products, as more research is done into their efficacy and uses.
“We work with partners in the industry who are currently undertaking clinical trials to get medicinal cannabis into the mainstream pharmaceutical space,” Mr Quinn said.
Source: 9News
Image: Unsplashed
