A multi-million dollar business has developed in Australia to meet the demand for medicinal cannabis. Australians spent more than A$400 million on it in the first half of 2024 alone.
More Australians than ever are using medicinal cannabis to treat long-term health conditions, such as chronic pain, anxiety and cancer. Some go to their GP and receive a prescription, which they take to a pharmacy. But many bypass their GP. Instead, they buy it online from private medicinal cannabis clinics after a telehealth appointment with the clinic's doctor.
However, when we looked at these clinics' websites, we found many examples of aggressive and misleading marketing. Some clinics breached regulatory guidelines. Others bent the rules.
This new study shows how common this is and why there are some concerns about the implications for public safety.
Read more at The Conversation