As we navigate through an unprecedented year for the Australian cannabis industry, several key issues have emerged that demand our attention. Local cultivators are clamoring for support as they find themselves squeezed by imported products that often undercut them on price and on quality. Alarmingly, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), our watchdog meant to ensure safety and compliance, seems to have vanished from the scene, not having inspected a single imported batch in the last eight months.
Meanwhile, the conversation around medicinal cannabis is shifting. Some voices within the medical community express grave concerns, suggesting that the industry is veering too close to a recreational model under the guise of medicinal use. At the heart of this debate are issues of ethics in prescribing practices, the safety and efficacy of high THC products, and the urgent need for more clinical research to back up cannabis’s therapeutic claims.
As proposals for legalising adult use of cannabis make their way through both State and Federal Parliaments, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Are we truly ready to embrace a fully legal cannabis market, or are there still too many unresolved issues that need to be addressed?
In my latest Instagram reel, I dive deep into these pressing questions, drawing on my background as a cannabis scientist, medical science liaison, and former cultivator. I offer insights into the current landscape and ponder the future of cannabis in Australia.
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