Only Two of 1,000+ Medicinal Cannabis Products Evaluated by Regulator

Australian doctors are frequently prescribing medicinal cannabis products with THC concentrations up to four times higher than the levels tested in clinical trials, according to a review by Monash University researchers.

The Monash University review focused on the efficacy and safety of high-potency THC products currently used in Australia. THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. The researchers found a significant gap between the dosages validated through scientific research and the high-dose products being administered to patients.

Regulatory gaps in medicinal cannabis oversight

The disparity between available products and regulatory oversight is stark. While the Australian market offers over 1,000 distinct medicinal cannabis options, the drug regulator has evaluated only two of them.

These concentrations far exceed the parameters established in the clinical trials used to justify the medical use of the drug.

Clinical trial disparities and patient risk

The Monash University researchers evaluated available evidence to determine if higher THC potency provides better outcomes or increases safety risks. The findings indicate that the products being prescribed are significantly more potent than those used in the studies that established the drug’s efficacy.

When clinicians prescribe doses four times higher than those tested in trials, they are operating outside the established evidence base.

The role of THC in medicinal cannabis

THC is the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis.