Submissions for Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA’s) public consultation on medicinal cannabis must be lodged by 5pm Tuesday 7 October 2025.
In early August, the TGA announced it would be launching a public consultation; triggered by growing concerns surrounding the 1,000+ unapproved medicinal cannabis products available in Australia — particularly those with high levels of the intoxicating cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The consultation kicked off soon after.
This was followed by the launch of a campaign by a group named The Patients consisting of researchers, healthcare practitioners, industry advocates, and patients urging direct engagement with regulators and policymakers.
“The TGA consultation and AHPRA’s Rapid Response Taskforce have already created pressure on patients and prescribers, causing long wait times, treatment delays, and uncertainty in care,” says the organisation. “The patients deserve to be included in decisions about their medicine.”
Legal access to medicinal cannabis products is regulated by the TGA, while prescribing and dispensing is overseen by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).
In its last update on September 24, The Patients announced it had launched its one-click letter campaign, with a goal to send 10,000 letters to the Prime Minister, Health Minister, Shadow Health Minister, and with key medical bodies copied in.
“Your letter is a reminder to our leaders that patients will not be silenced. We must not repeat another cycle of prohibition.”
It should be noted the TGA has said it has no intention of removing access to medicinal cannabis products.
“Rather, we aim to ensure that products being supplied are of appropriate quality, there is confidence in the level of safety, efficacy and performance, and further evidence is being generated to support legitimate use as a therapeutic good,” the Administration has previously stated.
Among the requests in The Patients’ letter:
- Ensuring patient experiences and benefits are included before TGA makes recommendations.
- Requesting the TGA enforces existing regulations properly before making any new recommendations.
- Supporting prescribers who understand plant medicine to provide safe, responsible care.
- Advocating for transparency, including declaring conflicts of interest among advisors.
- Protecting the patient–prescriber relationship and continuity of care.
The letter also calls for extending the consultation period to allow patient benefits to be properly considered.
