Australia is allowing CBD sales without prescription

Australia now officially allows medicinal cannabis to be bought at the pharmacy without a prescription. However, this will not happen immediately as there are currently no approved products and some would have wished for more from this law. According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which enforced this, not only will there be a wait for cannabis to become available, but the only product that can be legally sold is CBD oil with trace amounts - specifically 1 percent - of CBD. It will be possible to sell CBD oil from February 1, 2021 - provided that there is even a product for sale by then. Up to 150 mg per day could be offered over the counter to help with things like sleep, pain, and anxiety. This change was made when cannabis went from a list four drug that requires a prescription to a list three that is available over the counter. "It's the biggest milestone since legalization in 2016 and it will dramatically change patient access in Australia," said Cassandra Hunt, executive director of Fresh Leaf Analytics. "Previously, they had to go to a family doctor and talk to the family doctor about what they wanted to treat, and then the family doctor had to get special permission so they could get a prescription." However, she added that because of all of the registration and bureaucracy involved, it could take a while for over-the-counter cannabis to become readily available. "To register these products or get them over the counter in pharmacies, they have to be registered as an S3 drug," she said. "What that requires is pretty significant data on the safety and effectiveness and quality of the products." This is in line with Australia's propensity for regulation, and also because the industry is so new. Regulators want time to learn more about CBD and ensure the quality of the products. "This data is not easy to come by because the industry is so young," added Hunt. She also mentioned that part of the idea behind this move could be to push cannabis further away from the illicit market. "If you combine that with easier access to cannabis in pharmacies, it should hopefully make a big difference to the people who have previously received relief through these channels but who may not be able to rely on these products to be of good quality . " "Hopefully, when you couple that with easier access through pharmacies, it should make a big difference to people who have received relief through these channels but may not be able to rely on these products to be of good quality." The country is now waiting to see what will become of this new ruling and how long it will take for providers in the legal industry to get on their feet and enter the market.