Approvals for SAS-B approvals for medical cannabis have grown slightly from October, up 240 or 1.95%. Queensland continues to lead the way in prescriber applications, accounting for 53.2% of all approvals. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean Queensland residents are leading the way, as the state has a relatively higher number of cannabis-focused clinics offering telehealth services to Australians all across the country.
November’s numbers represent the second-highest month of approvals on record, only beaten out by September’s huge 13,660 SAS-B approvals. It also means that for 2021 to represent a 100% increase on 2020’s approvals, just 3,946 approvals need to be processed by the TGA in December. A target that is more than likely to be hit.
The continued growth is a fantastic sign for Australia’s medical cannabis industry, with new growing facilities being built around the country, even receiving government grants to do so in some cases. Others are looking to bring medical cannabis to some of NSW’s famous regional towns. Not only that, but some of Australia’s biggest sporting names are also backing cannabis by joining athlete-focused recovery companies.
All signs point to medical cannabis showing no signs of slowing down. A recent US study even found the majority of certain doctors would prefer to prescribe cannabis over opioids if they were equally effective in treatment. Here in Australia, anti-cannabis stigma continues to shatter around the country, with major media operations regularly reporting on the benefits of cannabis-based medicines.
The TGA now seems to be updating the medical cannabis dashboard in real-time, instead of waiting until the end of the month. You can see a breakdown of state data, types of medicines being approved, and what conditions they’re most commonly being prescribed for.
