Patient FAQ

What if my medical practitioner won't prescribe medical cannabis but I still want to try this?

Depending on what your doctor has advised you and your situation, there are a few approaches you can take.

The cultivation and supply of Medicinal cannabis has only recently been legalised by the Federal Government. Therefore, the majority of medical practitioners are still learning about the potential benefits of the medication, including what conditions it may have therapeutic benefit, how to prescribe it and which other doctors are using this new treatment.

What this means is that your usual doctor may not yet feel comfortable in prescribing this treatment for you. Or, depending on their area of specialty, your doctor may not be able to help you with the application process (see note below).

Depending on what your doctor has advised you and your situation, there are a few approaches you can take:

  1. Try currently available medications for your condition, first
  2. Ask your medical practitioner to sign up to the GreenChoices restricted access portal to access comprehensive resources for doctors
  3. Find another practitioner who is informed about medical cannabis and comfortable to discuss this treatment option with you. See our Find a Doctor page
  4. Reach out to Advisory services which are designed to help patients in these situations

Please note:

  • For a doctor to apply to the TGA for approval to prescribe medical cannabis, they must have appropriate qualifications and/or expertise in the condition for which medicinal cannabis treatment is being requested. If your GP is not qualified or does not have expertise in the condition for which you are seeking treatment for with medical cannabis, then you may need a referral from them to a specialist with expertise in the condition being treated.
  • TGA applications (excluding those for SAS A – palliative care) need to state if the medical practitioner making the application is the patient’s ‘usual’ doctor.

Learn how to discuss medicinal cannabis with your practitioner.

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