A CBD oil delivery service has just launched in Australia, meaning you can now access it without having to scrounge around and find a GP who prescribes it. And despite your (or my) initial reaction, yes, it’s perfectly legal.
Low doses of cannabidiol (CBD) oil were down-graded from Schedule 4 to Schedule 3 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration earlier this year, meaning Aussies could buy the medication over-the-counter. The only catch was that no product was yet legally approved to be sold over-the-counter.
In order to get around this issue and meet patient need, CDA Clinics – the organisation paving the way for CBD oil to be fully legalised in Australia – launched an online portal, CDA Express.
“What we have produced here has been six months of work and an exorbitant amount of legal and barrister fees to ensure that we do it right,” Dr Ben Jansen, Clinical Director and Founder of CDA Clinics, told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“It’s for the patients who might want to try a lower dose CBD oil and have conditions that are reasonably straight forward, like chronic pain, anxiety or depression. Something like epilepsy [a more complex condition which can be treated with CBD] we wouldn’t consult via the virtual pathway.”
Basically, you complete a free virtual consult (which takes around seven minutes), providing info like your Medicare number, current medications, medical history, and the details of your regular GP. Your application is then reviewed by CDA Clinics.
“Each patient that comes through the pathway we need to review individually,” Jensen said.
“We look at their conditions, their medications – the most important thing is to really look at any medications that could interact with the CBD.”
None of the products contain THC – a.k.a. the weed bit that gets you high – so there’s no issues with driving or working while taking CBD oil, according to Jensen.
For complex patients who do require THC, such as people suffering from epilepsy, then CDA Express will refer them to a regular consultation service. And if your application is rejected, then you’ll get a full refund on any products ordered.
“We’re also cutting out the cost of the doctor consult – we absorb that cost,” Jensen said.
“Patients can give this a go and see if it works.”
If you’re curious about the service, check it out here. And of course, if you’re dealing with symptoms of anxiety, depression, endometriosis, etc, you should absolutely be talking to your GP (or a service like BeyondBlue).
