‘No longer appropriate': Watchdog flags medicinal cannabis strength limits amid boom
The Therapeutic Goods Administration this week put the industry on notice, floating in a confidential consultation paper obtained by this masthead that it would gauge support for 'significantly restricting or preventing access' to more than 1000 unapproved cannabis products now prescribed to hundreds of thousands of Australians.
The wide-ranging review will canvass substantial changes to the system permitting access to the once-illegal drug, although the consultation paper specifically notes the federal government 'is not intending to remove access to medicinal cannabis'.
The TGA review warns that the strength of cannabis extracts is not limited in Australia and has grown rapidly, with some now containing up to 88 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component in cannabis that makes users feel 'high'.
One pro-cannabis MP said this was more than eight times as strong as the 'pot' many people had smoked in previous decades.
Access to cannabis for medical purposes was legalised in Australia in 2016, and has sharply increased as many recreational users realise they no longer need to access the drug illicitly.
Cannabis use in Australia has not changed dramatically. The federal government's Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found 13 per cent of Australians used cannabis in 2001 compared with 11.5 per cent in 2023. But the institute found that among people who used cannabis, the use of prescribed cannabis for medicinal purposes was on the rise.
In the past 12 months, this masthead has detailed the supercharged growth of corporate-backed telehealth cannabis clinics and the explosion in prescribing since 2016. Major companies have emerged supplying the drug. The biggest, Montu, turned over $263 million last year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Babies dying from syphilis in Australia ‘of national significance'
Syphilis has officially been declared a 'communicable disease incident of national significance'. Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd made the declaration following record notifications of infectious syphilis and a growing number of preventable congenital syphilis cases resulting in infant deaths. It is a sobering reminder of the health inequities facing rural, remote, and First Nations communities, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) said. The crisis reflects long-standing gaps in access to timely testing, treatment, and antenatal care, despite syphilis being entirely preventable and treatable, ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin said. 'In many rural and remote communities, the local rural generalist is the only doctor available,' Martin said. 'They provide everything from antenatal care to STI screening and treatment, and they must be supported with the workforce, training, and tools to respond effectively.' From January 1 to August 6, Australia has already recorded 3546 cases of infectious syphilis and 11 cases of congenital syphilis, leading to four infant deaths. In 2024, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians had infectious syphilis rates seven times higher than non-Indigenous Australians. Since 2016, more than half of all congenital syphilis cases have occurred in First Nations babies. One in three affected infants have died. In 2023, there were 6566 cases of infectious syphilis and 20 cases of congenital syphilis reported in Australia, resulting in 10 infant deaths. Between 2016 and 2024, 99 cases of congenital syphilis were reported. Of these children, 33 infants died. More than half were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants. 'Every one of those deaths is a tragedy,' Martin said 'We know syphilis often presents without symptoms, but with early testing and treatment, congenital syphilis is entirely preventable.' CRRM continues to work to strengthen culturally safe care and grow a skilled rural generalist workforce, Martin said. To help support rural generalists in delivering high-quality sexual health care, ACRRM has launched a new STI and HIV Care course. The course is designed to give doctors the skills and confidence to conduct evidence-based STI and HIV consultations, assess risk, and manage follow-up care, with content applicable to practice nationwide. 'We're committed to giving rural generalists the tools they need to care for their communities because that's what ultimately saves lives,' Martin said. He urged all Australians who are sexually active, especially those planning for a baby, to get a sexual health check. 'Testing is simple, treatment is effective, and awareness is essential to preventing serious outcomes — including a perinatal death rate of up to 30 per cent.'
West Australian
6 hours ago
- West Australian
Broome Aboriginal short stay operator, MercyCare, calls for more investment in regional homelessness services
MercyCare, which operates Aboriginal short stay accommodation facilities in Broome and Derby, is calling for increased investment in homelessness services as homelessness rates continue to rise. MercyCare general manager of youth and homelessness services Suzanne Caren said regional WA was being left behind. 'While Perth's homelessness challenges receive significant attention and resources, regional Western Australia is facing a crisis that's proportionally more than double the metropolitan rate,' she said. 'For every homeless person you see in Perth, there are two more struggling in regional WA and most people don't even know they exist.' According to statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 49 per cent of homeless people in WA were from regional areas despite representing only 21 per cent of the population. Some 26 per cent were from remote or very remote areas with 50 per cent identifying as Aboriginal. 'These aren't just statistics, they represent thousands of Western Australians, many of them families with children, who are struggling to find safe, appropriate accommodation,' said Ms Caren. 'The disparity between regional and metropolitan service provision is stark and unsustainable. We need urgent action to expand services in regional areas, particularly culturally safe options for Aboriginal communities. 'Every Western Australian deserves access to safe, appropriate housing, regardless of where they live.' In WA the median length of support is 31 days, compared with 58 days nationally while the median number of nights accommodated was eight, compared with 33 nationally. However, overall 45 per cent of WA clients received accommodation, compared with 29 per cent nationally. MercyCare facilities in Broome, Derby and Kalgoorlie provide accommodation for rough sleepers for up to 28 days helping people travelling to the regional centres for medical appointments, training, cultural events, or family gatherings. Without the facilities such journeys often result in people sleeping on the street or in overcrowded homes. 'Our facilities aren't just about providing a bed for the night,' said Ms Caren. 'We're addressing the root causes by connecting guests with Aboriginal support workers who help them access essential services like health care, employment support and family services.' Rates run from $30 per night or $195 per week for adults and $15 per night or $83 per week for children, with discounts for Health Care Card holders and reduced rates for larger families. WA now has the highest proportion in Australia of people sleeping rough, with the number of people sleeping rough doubling over the past five years, while overall homelessness has risen 8 per cent since 2016. The calls come as the country observes Homelessness Week which runs from August 4 to 10.
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Peter walked out to his bins. He returned with horrible burns
Peter Hull had no idea when he nipped out to his bins one day last summer that he would have to deal with a serious health issue. Mr Hull spent barely five minutes outside before returning with burns to the bottoms of his feet that required medical attention. Yet he did not notice his injuries for hours. "Actually, it was my wife who said 'ooh, what have you done?', Mr Hull said. What he had done was - after a long, sleepless night - absentmindedly walk barefoot on concrete in the middle of a 40-degree day. He did not feel any pain because of preexisting nerve damage linked to diabetes. Mr Hull, from Bendigo in north-west Victoria, is not the only person to suffer such burns. Every year, 47,000 Australians are hospitalised for diabetes-related foot injuries. And a group of researchers has a plan to cut that number down. La Trobe University Bendigo academic Dr Byron Perrin says it is time to get serious about "one of Australia's most urgent and overlooked health issues". "One of the really big complications of diabetes, in relation to feet, is you lose your ability to feel properly," he said. Every year, foot injuries linked to diabetes led to 6300 amputations and 2500 deaths, he and researchers from around the country found in research for Diabetes Feet Australia. They believed health workers could nearly halve amputations and hospitalisations if they could get the money for a new national strategy. Interventions could be as simple as screening people's feet and giving them properly fitting footwear, Dr Perrin said. They could be as complex as rolling out the right treatments for foot wounds and burns A proper strategy would cost $30 million a year in research and reforms, Diabetes Feet Australia estimated. It said the trade-off would be $940 million in savings a year, along with 20,000 fewer hospital admissions and 2800 less amputations. Mr Hull counts himself as one of the lucky ones. His wounds healed without turning gangrenous and needing to be amputated "No, that's not happened yet, but I do know people who've had quite severe amputations, loss of limbs, things like that," he said. And Mr Hull met plenty of people down at the local supermarket in wheelchairs and on mobility scooters. He liked to strike up conversations with them, to share experiences and find a sense of solidarity. Mr Hull also has a new rule he makes sure to follow. "I have to be ultra careful now, after I burnt my feet. Everywhere I go, I've got to wear me shoes," he said. Peter Hull had no idea when he nipped out to his bins one day last summer that he would have to deal with a serious health issue. Mr Hull spent barely five minutes outside before returning with burns to the bottoms of his feet that required medical attention. Yet he did not notice his injuries for hours. "Actually, it was my wife who said 'ooh, what have you done?', Mr Hull said. What he had done was - after a long, sleepless night - absentmindedly walk barefoot on concrete in the middle of a 40-degree day. He did not feel any pain because of preexisting nerve damage linked to diabetes. Mr Hull, from Bendigo in north-west Victoria, is not the only person to suffer such burns. Every year, 47,000 Australians are hospitalised for diabetes-related foot injuries. And a group of researchers has a plan to cut that number down. La Trobe University Bendigo academic Dr Byron Perrin says it is time to get serious about "one of Australia's most urgent and overlooked health issues". "One of the really big complications of diabetes, in relation to feet, is you lose your ability to feel properly," he said. Every year, foot injuries linked to diabetes led to 6300 amputations and 2500 deaths, he and researchers from around the country found in research for Diabetes Feet Australia. They believed health workers could nearly halve amputations and hospitalisations if they could get the money for a new national strategy. Interventions could be as simple as screening people's feet and giving them properly fitting footwear, Dr Perrin said. They could be as complex as rolling out the right treatments for foot wounds and burns A proper strategy would cost $30 million a year in research and reforms, Diabetes Feet Australia estimated. It said the trade-off would be $940 million in savings a year, along with 20,000 fewer hospital admissions and 2800 less amputations. Mr Hull counts himself as one of the lucky ones. His wounds healed without turning gangrenous and needing to be amputated "No, that's not happened yet, but I do know people who've had quite severe amputations, loss of limbs, things like that," he said. And Mr Hull met plenty of people down at the local supermarket in wheelchairs and on mobility scooters. He liked to strike up conversations with them, to share experiences and find a sense of solidarity. Mr Hull also has a new rule he makes sure to follow. "I have to be ultra careful now, after I burnt my feet. Everywhere I go, I've got to wear me shoes," he said. Peter Hull had no idea when he nipped out to his bins one day last summer that he would have to deal with a serious health issue. Mr Hull spent barely five minutes outside before returning with burns to the bottoms of his feet that required medical attention. Yet he did not notice his injuries for hours. "Actually, it was my wife who said 'ooh, what have you done?', Mr Hull said. What he had done was - after a long, sleepless night - absentmindedly walk barefoot on concrete in the middle of a 40-degree day. He did not feel any pain because of preexisting nerve damage linked to diabetes. Mr Hull, from Bendigo in north-west Victoria, is not the only person to suffer such burns. Every year, 47,000 Australians are hospitalised for diabetes-related foot injuries. And a group of researchers has a plan to cut that number down. La Trobe University Bendigo academic Dr Byron Perrin says it is time to get serious about "one of Australia's most urgent and overlooked health issues". "One of the really big complications of diabetes, in relation to feet, is you lose your ability to feel properly," he said. Every year, foot injuries linked to diabetes led to 6300 amputations and 2500 deaths, he and researchers from around the country found in research for Diabetes Feet Australia. They believed health workers could nearly halve amputations and hospitalisations if they could get the money for a new national strategy. Interventions could be as simple as screening people's feet and giving them properly fitting footwear, Dr Perrin said. They could be as complex as rolling out the right treatments for foot wounds and burns A proper strategy would cost $30 million a year in research and reforms, Diabetes Feet Australia estimated. It said the trade-off would be $940 million in savings a year, along with 20,000 fewer hospital admissions and 2800 less amputations. Mr Hull counts himself as one of the lucky ones. His wounds healed without turning gangrenous and needing to be amputated "No, that's not happened yet, but I do know people who've had quite severe amputations, loss of limbs, things like that," he said. And Mr Hull met plenty of people down at the local supermarket in wheelchairs and on mobility scooters. He liked to strike up conversations with them, to share experiences and find a sense of solidarity. Mr Hull also has a new rule he makes sure to follow. "I have to be ultra careful now, after I burnt my feet. Everywhere I go, I've got to wear me shoes," he said. Peter Hull had no idea when he nipped out to his bins one day last summer that he would have to deal with a serious health issue. Mr Hull spent barely five minutes outside before returning with burns to the bottoms of his feet that required medical attention. Yet he did not notice his injuries for hours. "Actually, it was my wife who said 'ooh, what have you done?', Mr Hull said. What he had done was - after a long, sleepless night - absentmindedly walk barefoot on concrete in the middle of a 40-degree day. He did not feel any pain because of preexisting nerve damage linked to diabetes. Mr Hull, from Bendigo in north-west Victoria, is not the only person to suffer such burns. Every year, 47,000 Australians are hospitalised for diabetes-related foot injuries. And a group of researchers has a plan to cut that number down. La Trobe University Bendigo academic Dr Byron Perrin says it is time to get serious about "one of Australia's most urgent and overlooked health issues". "One of the really big complications of diabetes, in relation to feet, is you lose your ability to feel properly," he said. Every year, foot injuries linked to diabetes led to 6300 amputations and 2500 deaths, he and researchers from around the country found in research for Diabetes Feet Australia. They believed health workers could nearly halve amputations and hospitalisations if they could get the money for a new national strategy. Interventions could be as simple as screening people's feet and giving them properly fitting footwear, Dr Perrin said. They could be as complex as rolling out the right treatments for foot wounds and burns A proper strategy would cost $30 million a year in research and reforms, Diabetes Feet Australia estimated. It said the trade-off would be $940 million in savings a year, along with 20,000 fewer hospital admissions and 2800 less amputations. Mr Hull counts himself as one of the lucky ones. His wounds healed without turning gangrenous and needing to be amputated "No, that's not happened yet, but I do know people who've had quite severe amputations, loss of limbs, things like that," he said. And Mr Hull met plenty of people down at the local supermarket in wheelchairs and on mobility scooters. He liked to strike up conversations with them, to share experiences and find a sense of solidarity. Mr Hull also has a new rule he makes sure to follow. "I have to be ultra careful now, after I burnt my feet. Everywhere I go, I've got to wear me shoes," he said.
