Stingo and Kush are as excited as you are about hearing that CBD is now available in Australia over the counter! The big question is why can’t we get it yet?
Since the beginning of February people in Australia are now officially allowed to purchase CBD from a pharmacy without even getting a prescription. However, the first sale has not happened yet, as there are currently no approved products available, and some would have liked to see more from this law.
According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, who pushed this through, not only will there be a wait before cannabis is available, the only product that will legally be sold is CBD oil with trace amounts—specifically 1 percent—of CBD. Up to 150 mg a day could be offered over the counter to help with things like sleeping, pain, and anxiety.
Is the perception changing?
This change was made when cannabis was changed from a schedule-4 drug, which needs a prescription, to a schedule-3, which is available over the counter. Cassandra Hunt from Fresh Leaf Analytics has this to say about the rescheduling:
“It’s the biggest milestone since legalisation in 2016 and it’s going to dramatically change access for patients in Australia,” said Cassandra Hunt, managing director of Fresh Leaf Analytics. “Previously, they’ve had to go to a GP and they’ve had to talk to the GP about what they’re trying to treat, and then the GP has had to get special permission in order for them to be able to access a prescription.”
It is key to note here that she added that because of all the registration and red tape involved, it could be a while before over-the-counter cannabis is readily available.
“In order for companies to get these products registered or available over-the-counter in pharmacies, they have to be registered as an S3 medicine,” she said. “What that requires is quite significant data about the safety and efficacy and quality of the products.”
This is in line with Australia’s propensity for heavy regulation, and also because the industry is so new. Regulators want time to learn more about CBD and ensure the quality of their products.
“That data, given the industry is so young, isn’t easy to come by,” Hunt added.
She also mentioned that part of the idea behind this move could be to push cannabis further away from the illicit market.
“If you couple that with making it more easily accessible through pharmacies, that should hopefully make a big difference for people who’ve been getting relief through those channels, but maybe can’t rely on those products being good quality.”
“Sometimes those products say they have something in them and that’s not in there, so you can’t really rely on the fact that you’re getting a good product.If you couple that with making it more easily accessible through pharmacies, that should hopefully make a big difference for people who’ve been getting relief through those channels, but maybe can’t rely on those products being good quality.”
Stingo and Kush both agree a fully functioning, regulated and endorsed system for cannabis and cannabis deprived products would change the whole perspective of the industry. You can too by subscribing, purchasing and watching anything from the Stingo and Kush website! It is our mission to use the communication channel of storytelling/animation to capture the wider audiences attention to educate on the cannabis plant! Help us help the industry! It’s your move, we’ve just passed the joint to you.
Stingo & Kush 
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