Cannabis and the Poisons Standard Schedules

In Australia, drugs and poisons are grouped together in Schedules listed in the Poisons Standard that require similar regulatory controls over their availability, according to government. 

SCHEDULE 3

CANNABIDIOL in oral, oromucosal and sublingual preparations included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods when:

a)      the cannabidiol is either plant derived or, when synthetic, only contains the (-)-CBD enantiomer; and

b)      the cannabidiol comprises 98% or more of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation; and

c)      any cannabinoids, other than cannabidiol, must be only those naturally found in cannabis and comprise 2% or less of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation and of which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can only comprise 1% of the total cannabinoid content; and

d)      the maximum recommended daily dose is 150 mg or less of cannabidiol; and

e)      packed in blister or strip packaging or in a container fitted with a child-resistant closure; and

f)       in packs containing not more than 30 days’ supply; and

g)      for persons aged 18 years and over.

SCHEDULE 4

CANNABIDIOL in preparations for therapeutic use or analytical and scientific research where:

a)      cannabidiol comprises 98% or more of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation; and

b)      any cannabinoids, other than cannabidiol, must be only those naturally found in cannabis and comprise 2% or less of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation;

except when:

i)        included in Schedule 3; or

ii)      in hemp seed oil at a concentration of 75 mg/kg or less.

SCHEDULE 8

# CANNABIS (including seeds, extracts, resins and the plant, and any part of the plant) when prepared or packed for human therapeutic use, when:

  1. a) cultivated or produced, or in products manufactured[1], in accordance with the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967; and/or
  2. b) for use in products manufactured in accordance with the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967; and/or
  3. c) imported as therapeutic goods, or for use in therapeutic goods, for supply, in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989; and/or
  4. d) in therapeutic goods supplied in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989,

except:

  1. i) when it is in a product to which item 4, 8, 10, 11 or 12 of Schedule 5A to the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990 applies; or
  2. ii) when separately specified in the NABIXIMOLS entry in this Schedule; or

iii)    when captured by the CANNABIDIOL entry in Schedule 4 or Schedule 3; or

  1. iv) hemp seed oil containing 75 mg/kg or less of cannabidiol and 10 mg/kg or less of tetrahydrocannabinols.

# DRONABINOL (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) when prepared and packed for therapeutic use.

# NABIXIMOLS (botanical extract of Cannabis sativa which includes the following cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabinols, cannabidiol, cannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiolic acid, tetrahydrocannabinolic acids, tetrahydrocannabivarol, and cannabidivarol, where tetrahydrocannabinols and cannabidiol (in approximately equal proportions) comprise not less than 90% of the total cannabinoid content) in a buccal spray for human therapeutic use.

# TETRAHYDROCANNABINOLS when extracted from cannabis for human therapeutic use, when:

  1. a)included in products manufactured in accordance with the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967; and/or
  2. b)imported as therapeutic goods, or for use in therapeutic goods, for supply, in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989; and/or
  3. c)in therapeutic goods supplied in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989,

except when:

  1. i)it is in a product to which item 4, 8, 10, 11 or 12 of Schedule 5A to the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990 applies; or
  2. ii)separately specified in the NABIXIMOLS entry in this Schedule; or

iii)    captured by the CANNABIDIOL entry in Schedule 4 or Schedule 3; or

  1. iv)in hemp seed oil at a concentration of 10 mg/kg or less.

SCHEDULE 9

CANNABIS (including seeds, extracts, resins, and the plant and any part of the plant when packed or prepared), except:

  1. a) when separately specified in these Schedules; or
  2. b) processed hemp fibre containing 0.1% or less of tetrahydrocannabinols and hemp fibre products manufactured from such fibre; or
  3. c) hemp seed oil containing 75 mg/kg or less of cannabidiol and 10 mg/kg or less of tetrahydrocannabinols.

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOMIMETICS except when separately specified in these Schedules.

TETRAHYDROCANNABINOLS and their alkyl homologues, except:

  1. a)when included in Schedule 4 or Schedule 8; or
  2. b)processed hemp fibre containing 0.1% or less of tetrahydrocannabinols, and hemp fibre products manufactured from such fibre; or
  3. c)in hemp seed oil at a concentration of 10 mg/kg or less.

[1] “Cultivation”, “production” and “manufacture” have the same meaning as in the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967

 

Poisons Standard October 2021

 

 

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