Health conditions

There is no predetermined list of conditions for which a cannabis medicine can be prescribed. Each application to prescribe is considered on its merits and assessed on a case-by-case basis.

When making an application to the Australian Government’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to prescribe a cannabis medicine, a doctor must provide clinical evidence about use of the product to enable an assessment of potential benefits and harms. It is expected that all registered conventional medicines or non-medicinal treatments will have already been explored.

NSW Government funded clinical trials for particular conditions 

Currently, there are NSW Government-funded trials investigating the safety and efficacy of cannabis medicines in:

• reducing seizures in children with severe treatment-resistant epilepsy, 
• preventing nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients,
• enhancing the appetite and appetite-related symptoms of palliative care patients with advanced cancer,
• improving the control of symptoms, including pain, nausea and lack of appetite, in advanced cancer patients, and
• reducing chronic pain in patients with spinal cord injury. 

Chronic pain

Patients considering cannabis medicines for treatment of chronic pain are encouraged to visit the NSW Government’s Pain Management Network website. This website provides information to help patients develop skills and knowledge in the self-management of pain in partnership with their healthcare providers.