Yes. A GP is legally able to prescribe CBD oil in Australia, and does not need a dedicated clinic.1 A specialist can still be involved: the TGA expects a letter of support from an appropriate specialist where the prescriber lacks experience with the product or condition, and supporting evidence from a paediatrician or specialist for patients under 18. Some states add their own rules.234 Whether to prescribe is the GP’s clinical decision.
Who is allowed to prescribe?
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) says: “Registered medical practitioners and nurse practitioners may apply to access unapproved medicinal cannabis products under specific pathways if all other clinically appropriate treatment options on the ARTG have been considered.”1 The ARTG is the register of approved medicines.
There are two main pathways:1
- Special Access Scheme Category B. The prescriber applies to the TGA for an individual patient.
- Authorised Prescriber. The prescriber is authorised to prescribe to a group of patients with the same condition, without a separate application each time.
Patients cannot apply themselves. Access “can only be arranged through an Australian registered health practitioner”.1
Do the rules differ by state?
Sometimes. The TGA notes that “in certain states, such as Tasmania, there are additional requirements for cannabidiol products which apply, even when in Schedule 4”.4 Your GP or the state health department can confirm what applies where you live.
How do GPs approach it?
It is a clinical decision, and many GPs are cautious. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners describes the evidence as “limited and inconclusive” and says medicinal cannabis should be considered only after first-line treatments have been exhausted.5
Guidance from the health practitioner regulator, Ahpra, says medicinal cannabis is “never a first line treatment”, that patient demand is not a reason to prescribe, and that there must be a real-time consultation.6
A prescriber must also get your informed consent and tell you that the product is unapproved.7
What about Epidyolex?
Epidyolex is a registered CBD medicine for two rare forms of epilepsy. Its subsidised use is specialist-led. For Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a GP may continue treatment that a specialist has started.8
What is useful to discuss with a GP?
A GP can talk through the treatment options for your condition and their risks. Bring a list of your medicines and the treatments you have already tried. CBD interacts with a number of medicines, so the full list matters. See CBD drug interactions.
Read the full guide: who can prescribe CBD? and talking to your GP about CBD.
Footnotes
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Therapeutic Goods Administration. Medicinal cannabis access pathways. https://www.tga.gov.au/products/unapproved-therapeutic-goods/medicinal-cannabis/access-pathways ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Therapeutic Goods Administration. Access to unapproved therapeutic goods for individual patients (Special Access Scheme), updated 3 December 2025. https://www.tga.gov.au/business-services/special-access-scheme-and-authorised-prescriber-online-system/access-unapproved-therapeutic-goods-individual-patients-special-access-scheme ↩
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Therapeutic Goods Administration. Consultation paper: reviewing the safety and regulatory oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products, August 2025. https://consultations.tga.gov.au/medicines-regulation-division/test-soms/user_uploads/final---consultation-paper---medicinal-cannabis-review---august-2025.pdf ↩
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Therapeutic Goods Administration. Medicinal cannabis importation and the traveller’s exemption. https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/explore-topic/medicinal-cannabis-hub/medicinal-cannabis-information-patients/medicinal-cannabis-importation-and-travellers-exemption ↩ ↩2
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Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Position statement: medical cannabis. https://www.racgp.org.au/advocacy/position-statements/view-all-position-statements/clinical-and-practice-management/medical-cannabis ↩
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Ahpra and National Boards. Medicinal cannabis prescribing guidance. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Medicinal-cannabis-prescribing.aspx ↩
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Therapeutic Goods Administration. Do your patients know the risks of unapproved medicinal cannabis products? https://www.tga.gov.au/news/blog/do-your-patients-know-risks-unapproved-medicinal-cannabis-products ↩
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Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Cannabidiol, item 13277T. https://www.pbs.gov.au/medicine/item/13277T ↩
This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Laws and evidence change; we show the date we last checked the facts at the top of every page. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
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