Australian Medical Association Raises Concerns Over Medicinal Cannabis Prescriptions

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is calling for significant reform of the medical cannabis industry, citing a lack of evidence for many prescribed conditions and a surge in related emergency department visits.

In a submission to an Australian Government inquiry, the AMA expressed concern that medicinal cannabis is frequently prescribed for conditions like anxiety, insomnia, and depression despite “little, or no evidence base” supporting its use for these ailments, according to a statement from the association. Members working in emergency departments have reported an increase in patients experiencing adverse effects from excessive cannabis use, including psychosis. “Alarmingly, doctors are seeing medicinal cannabis use in people who have pre-existing psychotic conditions,” the AMA stated.

The AMA also warned that telehealth platforms are being misused to facilitate the prescription of unapproved products, with some doctors issuing a high volume of prescriptions after brief consultations. Recent reports revealed one physician affiliated with medical cannabis company Montu issued 72,000 prescriptions to 10,000 patients over a two-year period, with some appointments lasting as little as ten minutes. This comes as the global medical cannabis market is projected to exceed US$65 billion by 2030, according to market research firm Grand View Research.

These developments raise questions about patient safety and the appropriate regulation of a rapidly expanding industry. The AMA is urging the government to implement “comprehensive reform” to address these issues and ensure responsible access to medicinal cannabis, similar to concerns raised regarding telehealth services generally.

The Australian Government is expected to respond to the AMA’s submission and the findings of the inquiry in the coming months.