From Click to Cannabis in Minutes – TGA Says ‘Not So Fast’
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Imagine calling a doctor and, after a 15-minute phone chat, having “dope heading to [your] door” before you've even met the prescribing physician.
It sounds like a cheeky ad from the old days, but it’s reality in Australia’s booming medicinal cannabis scene. Prescriptions for medicinal cannabis have exploded since it was legalised in 2016, with over 1 million Australians now using cannabis-based medicines.
Telehealth clinics have made access as easy as a few clicks – perhaps too easy, if you ask our regulators.
The other 99% of cannabis products being prescribed – over 1,000 of them – are unapproved therapies accessed through special pathways. This workaround system was meant for exceptional cases, but it’s now the norm.
With demand surging, dedicated cannabis clinics (often via telehealth) stepped in to fill the gap. They offer quick consultations and a “one-stop shop” model – the doctor writes the script, and the same outfit often sells and ships you the product.
It’s convenient but poses a “conflict of interest” for prescribers. In many cases, the doctors are paid per prescription, and some clinics even advertise “free” consults to attract more patients. One ABC News investigation found clinics prescribing high-strength THC products after only a brief nurse-led phone call, with patients never even speaking to the actual doctor who signed off.
For patients who’ve struggled to convince a traditional GP to sign off on cannabis, this fast-track access might seem like a godsend – yet it’s raising serious eyebrows in the medical community.
Regulators discovered a handful of practitioners churning out scripts at breakneck speed. Eight doctors each issued over 10,000 cannabis prescriptions in just six months, and one doctor wrote more than 17,000 scripts in six months – roughly one script every four minutes of their working day, fueling concerns that some prescribers were putting “profit over patient safety”.
The TGA, for its part, is cracking down on the advertising of medicinal cannabis. It’s actually illegal in Australia to advertise prescription drugs like cannabis directly to consumers, and since 2020 the TGA has issued over 190 infringement notices (fines totalling more than $2.5 million) to companies for unlawful advertising. But clever marketing workarounds abound: some companies use innocuous terms like “natural therapy” and even set up touch-screen kiosks in vape shops or hydroponic stores to sign people up for “free cannabinoid therapy consultations.”
One prominent telehealth service, Dispensed, became a poster child for these concerns. They were known for their ultra-efficient system – maybe too efficient. A former police officer, Rohan Dawson, shared how after a brief consult with a clinic nurse, a package of high-THC cannabis was promptly mailed to his door – courtesy of a doctor he’d never even spoken to.
The product, an ultra-strong 27% THC cannabis flower nicknamed “Slurricane”, was far more potent than he expected. “I felt like I was on Pluto,” Rohan said, noting the heavy dose actually made his anxiety worse. He later discovered that such “Chernobyl-strength” cannabis (as he dubbed it) was probably overkill for someone not on their deathbed.
Rohan’s experience isn’t just an isolated hiccup. Tragically, two vulnerable patients suffered serious harm (one was hospitalised with psychosis and another died by suicide) after using that service, prompting authorities to ban Dispensed’s founding pharmacist and two doctors from prescribing cannabis.
Even some doctors felt compromised. One GP who worked briefly at a cannabis telehealth clinic said there was “a bit of pressure to be, perhaps more of a dealer” rather than a doctor. Needless to say, she quit.
Source: ABC Australia / Youtube.
The TGA is not out to spoil the party for patients who genuinely benefit; in fact, it explicitly stated it “is not intending to remove access” to medicinal cannabis. However, it does want assurances that what people are taking is safe, high quality, and used in medically appropriate ways.
In August 2025, the TGA opened a formal public consultation to rethink the regulations. This review is tackling some big questions: Is the current laissez-faire approach to unapproved cannabis products putting people at risk?
How do we get manufacturers to actually prove their products work and are safe (for example, by conducting clinical trials and getting TGA approval) rather than just selling them under the radar? And what should be done about the “product-specific” telehealth clinics that have sprung up everywhere?
Depending on whom you ask, the solutions range from sensible to drastic. Some medical bodies have floated ideas like eliminating ultra-high potency (Category 5) THC products entirely, forcing cannabis companies to register their products with the TGA after a certain number of prescriptions, or even yanking medicinal cannabis out of the quick-and-easy Special Access Scheme so it’s harder to get.
The most extreme suggestion? Banning telehealth cannabis prescribing except in exceptional circumstances – a move that one industry figure warned would “kill off 90% of access overnight” for patients (a huge number of whom, notably, are seniors seeking pain relief or better sleep).
Naturally, the cannabis industry and patient advocates are nervous. They acknowledge there are “bad actors” that need to be reined in, but they fear a knee-jerk overreaction. Dr. David Gunn of Cannabis Clinicians Australia urges a measured approach – protect patients, but don’t undo the good that medicinal cannabis has achieved, because “when it’s done well, it changes lives”. Similarly, Dr. Orit Holtzman – a leader among cannabinoid prescribers – welcomes more oversight but warns against using “a very blunt tool” that could restrict access for well-intentioned doctors and patients along with the rogues.
Older patients, who often juggle multiple medications, need to know that what they’re taking won’t do more harm than good. Stricter oversight could mean safer, better-researched cannabis options in the long run, and fewer snake-oil salesmen in the mix.
Source: ABC News (Australia) / Youtube.
On the other hand, the appeal of those telehealth clinics was that they listened when others wouldn’t. Many seniors have stories of GPs dismissing cannabis outright due to limited evidence for some conditions. The cannabis clinics filled that gap – albeit while making a tidy profit. The TGA’s challenge now is a classic balancing act: protect people from dodgy practices without strangling a treatment that, for some, has been a lifesaver.
Finding the sweet spot between easy access and responsible control will not be simple. But for the sake of all the patients finding relief – and those yet to try – let’s hope the regulators, doctors and industry can hash out a solution that keeps everyone safe and keeps the door open.
Read more: Nearly half of Aussies support legalising cannabis—do you?
So, as the TGA sharpens its oversight and telehealth “pot docs” face the music, we’re left with a burning question: Will this crackdown bring order to medicinal cannabis without shutting out those who rely on it?
It sounds like a cheeky ad from the old days, but it’s reality in Australia’s booming medicinal cannabis scene. Prescriptions for medicinal cannabis have exploded since it was legalised in 2016, with over 1 million Australians now using cannabis-based medicines.
Telehealth clinics have made access as easy as a few clicks – perhaps too easy, if you ask our regulators.
A Boom in Green Prescriptions
Medicinal cannabis in Australia has gone from fringe to mainstream in under a decade. For context, only two cannabis medicines (Sativex and Epidyolex) have full approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and are listed on the official register.The other 99% of cannabis products being prescribed – over 1,000 of them – are unapproved therapies accessed through special pathways. This workaround system was meant for exceptional cases, but it’s now the norm.
With demand surging, dedicated cannabis clinics (often via telehealth) stepped in to fill the gap. They offer quick consultations and a “one-stop shop” model – the doctor writes the script, and the same outfit often sells and ships you the product.
It’s convenient but poses a “conflict of interest” for prescribers. In many cases, the doctors are paid per prescription, and some clinics even advertise “free” consults to attract more patients. One ABC News investigation found clinics prescribing high-strength THC products after only a brief nurse-led phone call, with patients never even speaking to the actual doctor who signed off.
Image source: Seniors Discount Club.
For patients who’ve struggled to convince a traditional GP to sign off on cannabis, this fast-track access might seem like a godsend – yet it’s raising serious eyebrows in the medical community.
Regulators discovered a handful of practitioners churning out scripts at breakneck speed. Eight doctors each issued over 10,000 cannabis prescriptions in just six months, and one doctor wrote more than 17,000 scripts in six months – roughly one script every four minutes of their working day, fueling concerns that some prescribers were putting “profit over patient safety”.
Telehealth Clinics Under Fire
The Therapeutic Goods Administration and other authorities have started to take a hard look at these telehealth cannabis outfits. AHPRA (the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) – which oversees medical practitioners – has launched a task force to investigate whether patient care is being compromised.The TGA, for its part, is cracking down on the advertising of medicinal cannabis. It’s actually illegal in Australia to advertise prescription drugs like cannabis directly to consumers, and since 2020 the TGA has issued over 190 infringement notices (fines totalling more than $2.5 million) to companies for unlawful advertising. But clever marketing workarounds abound: some companies use innocuous terms like “natural therapy” and even set up touch-screen kiosks in vape shops or hydroponic stores to sign people up for “free cannabinoid therapy consultations.”
One prominent telehealth service, Dispensed, became a poster child for these concerns. They were known for their ultra-efficient system – maybe too efficient. A former police officer, Rohan Dawson, shared how after a brief consult with a clinic nurse, a package of high-THC cannabis was promptly mailed to his door – courtesy of a doctor he’d never even spoken to.
The product, an ultra-strong 27% THC cannabis flower nicknamed “Slurricane”, was far more potent than he expected. “I felt like I was on Pluto,” Rohan said, noting the heavy dose actually made his anxiety worse. He later discovered that such “Chernobyl-strength” cannabis (as he dubbed it) was probably overkill for someone not on their deathbed.
Rohan’s experience isn’t just an isolated hiccup. Tragically, two vulnerable patients suffered serious harm (one was hospitalised with psychosis and another died by suicide) after using that service, prompting authorities to ban Dispensed’s founding pharmacist and two doctors from prescribing cannabis.
Even some doctors felt compromised. One GP who worked briefly at a cannabis telehealth clinic said there was “a bit of pressure to be, perhaps more of a dealer” rather than a doctor. Needless to say, she quit.
Source: ABC Australia / Youtube.
TGA Steps In – Safety vs. Access
All these incidents and booming script numbers have put the TGA on high alert. Officials say the current system – which relies on those Special Access Scheme (SAS) and Authorised Prescriber pathways – may “no longer be appropriate” given how routine medicinal cannabis has become.The TGA is not out to spoil the party for patients who genuinely benefit; in fact, it explicitly stated it “is not intending to remove access” to medicinal cannabis. However, it does want assurances that what people are taking is safe, high quality, and used in medically appropriate ways.
In August 2025, the TGA opened a formal public consultation to rethink the regulations. This review is tackling some big questions: Is the current laissez-faire approach to unapproved cannabis products putting people at risk?
How do we get manufacturers to actually prove their products work and are safe (for example, by conducting clinical trials and getting TGA approval) rather than just selling them under the radar? And what should be done about the “product-specific” telehealth clinics that have sprung up everywhere?
Depending on whom you ask, the solutions range from sensible to drastic. Some medical bodies have floated ideas like eliminating ultra-high potency (Category 5) THC products entirely, forcing cannabis companies to register their products with the TGA after a certain number of prescriptions, or even yanking medicinal cannabis out of the quick-and-easy Special Access Scheme so it’s harder to get.
The most extreme suggestion? Banning telehealth cannabis prescribing except in exceptional circumstances – a move that one industry figure warned would “kill off 90% of access overnight” for patients (a huge number of whom, notably, are seniors seeking pain relief or better sleep).
Image source: Seniors Discount Club.
Naturally, the cannabis industry and patient advocates are nervous. They acknowledge there are “bad actors” that need to be reined in, but they fear a knee-jerk overreaction. Dr. David Gunn of Cannabis Clinicians Australia urges a measured approach – protect patients, but don’t undo the good that medicinal cannabis has achieved, because “when it’s done well, it changes lives”. Similarly, Dr. Orit Holtzman – a leader among cannabinoid prescribers – welcomes more oversight but warns against using “a very blunt tool” that could restrict access for well-intentioned doctors and patients along with the rogues.
What’s Next for Patients (Especially Seniors)?
For everyday Australians – including many over-60s who have turned to medicinal cannabis to manage chronic pain, arthritis or insomnia – this crackdown is a double-edged sword. On one hand, nobody wants a “Wild West” where subpar or overly potent products are dished out like lollies.Older patients, who often juggle multiple medications, need to know that what they’re taking won’t do more harm than good. Stricter oversight could mean safer, better-researched cannabis options in the long run, and fewer snake-oil salesmen in the mix.
Source: ABC News (Australia) / Youtube.
On the other hand, the appeal of those telehealth clinics was that they listened when others wouldn’t. Many seniors have stories of GPs dismissing cannabis outright due to limited evidence for some conditions. The cannabis clinics filled that gap – albeit while making a tidy profit. The TGA’s challenge now is a classic balancing act: protect people from dodgy practices without strangling a treatment that, for some, has been a lifesaver.
Finding the sweet spot between easy access and responsible control will not be simple. But for the sake of all the patients finding relief – and those yet to try – let’s hope the regulators, doctors and industry can hash out a solution that keeps everyone safe and keeps the door open.
Read more: Nearly half of Aussies support legalising cannabis—do you?
So, as the TGA sharpens its oversight and telehealth “pot docs” face the music, we’re left with a burning question: Will this crackdown bring order to medicinal cannabis without shutting out those who rely on it?
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