Is CBD legal in QLD? Yes, if you have a prescription. When will weed be legal in QLD, so you don’t need a prescription? Good question.
Unfortunately, this article cannot answer when the laws will change.
But we’ll walk you through medical cannabis’ legal status, how you can access it legally in QLD and explain why some patients are using the “green” market and how they’re doing it.
Current Legal Status: Is CBD Legal in QLD?
Is CBD legal in QLD? Yes, but there are strings attached. Here’s everything you need to know about its current legal status.
It is illegal to possess cannabis in QLD under the Drug Misuse Act of 1986, even if the cannabis in question is predominantly CBD-based and has a trace amount of THC.
Obtaining CBD for medical purposes is possible, but you’ll need a prescription from a doctor.
But even with a legal, medical prescription, you’re still confined to where you can consume.
Medical cannabis patients cannot smoke or vape in public.
Smoking or vaping in public can lead to charges even if you have a prescription. Police can confiscate and charge you before bothering to speak to your doctor first.
Medical cannabis patients must consume it on their private property. And you cannot grow your own cannabis in QLD, prescription or not.
CBD oil is a more discreet way of consuming a medical cannabis product, and there are likely no ramifications for consuming this in public, perhaps just a few funny looks as you squirt oil in your mouth.
Laws are changing in Australia, but slowly in QLD.
Punishments for unlawful possession or growing can range from small fines to imprisonment.
When will weed, or even just CBD, be legal in QLD? Read on to find out.
Where to Find Medical Cannabis in QLD
Weed is legal in QLD if you have a prescription. And while you can find a doctor to prescribe you cannabis, it’s easier to go to a clinic designed for this purpose in mind.
QLD has no shortage of cannabis clinics. Here is a list of some of the best.
PlantMed
Initially located in Eagle Farm, this locally owned and operated cannabis clinic has moved to Brisbane.
Staffed with specialist doctors like Dr. Jon Teh, you’ll be getting expert opinions here.
Teh worked in the surgical industry for 15 years before becoming a medicinal cannabis specialist. An avid organic farmer and permaculture expert, Teh knows everything there is to know about plant medicines and phytocannabinoids.
PlantMed accepts patients with referrals from regular doctors or specialists, but you can also “self-refer.”
CDA Clinics
Cannabis Doctors Australia (CDA) is one of Australia’s highest-rated and most well-known clinics. Located in Brisbane, they emphasise a humanistic approach to medical cannabis.
MedReleaf
A Canadian-based company, they cultivate and distribute medical-grade cannabis globally. In QLD, they operate a clinic in Spring Hill.
Cannabis Access Clinics
One of the first to open in Brisbane in 2018, this QLD cannabis clinic is staffed with experts who’ll help you navigate QLD’s medical regulations.
Medical Cannabis Services (MCS)
MCS is the perfect cannabis clinic for patients who suffer from immobility issues.
This clinic is entirely online (or you can call them by phone). Registration is free on their website; you only have to be 19 years or older. You can refer yourself.
The consultation and approval process is done either online or over the phone. They also have a courier delivery service.
When Will Weed Be Legal in QLD?
QLD is known as the Sunshine State, yet imports 90% of its medical cannabis from Canada, a country covered in snow eight months of the year.
This situation has many asking: when will weed be legal in QLD?
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 11.6% of the population sources their cannabis from the black or “green” market.[1]
And it’s not hard to see why. From when a QLD cannabis clinic requests an import permit from the Office of Drug Control to when Health Canada issues a corresponding export permit, it can take up to 90 days or more for that cannabis to reach QLD.
Of course, this doesn’t mean pharmacies don’t keep their medical cannabis products well-stocked. But if you desire a certain cannabis strain or product that they don’t have, you may have to wait a little bit until it arrives in QLD.
“When will weed be legal in QLD” is a valid question because importing it from Canada is unnecessarily expensive. (Not to mention leaving a huge carbon footprint as well).
A 2019 Senate inquiry into medical cannabis found that patients spend up to $15 daily on their medicine.[2]
Is CBD legal in QLD? Yes, and one bottle per week can cost up to $370.
Given these circumstances, it’s little wonder the Senate found patients comfortable forgoing the complex legal access system and opting for the black or “green” market.
What About The Green Market?
Illicit cannabis markets are referred to as “black,” “grey,” or “green” markets.
This market includes products ranging from home-grown cannabis flower to homemade extracts and edibles to commercially-produced products imported illegally from abroad, such as CBD Equilibria.
The 2019 Senate inquiry into medical cannabis estimated that 100,000 Australians used the green market. Although they admitted, that number is likely much higher.
A Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics survey at the University of Sydney found that less than 3 per cent of prescribed patients were accessing medical cannabis through legal means.[3]
Accessing products on the “green” market is certainly an option if you wish to explore it further.
QLD has several climates, all of which are ideal for growing cannabis. Australians should be exporting cannabis to Canada, not the other way around.
When will weed be legal in QLD? Technically, it already is. Patients can access CBD and other cannabinoid therapies through medical cannabis clinics.
Now it’s just a matter of reducing barriers, eliminating stigmas, and updating the laws.
For those living in the festival state, this article explains whether you can buy CBD in Adelaide.
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