Young people and medical cannabis

Medicinal Cannabis 

Victorian medical cannabis laws 

Any doctor or nurse practitioner in Victoria can prescribe medicinal cannabis for any patient with any condition, if they believe it is clinically appropriate to do so. However, Commonwealth and/or state approvals may be required before a prescription can be issued.  

Information for parents and carers can be accessed at the Department of Health website.

What if my young person has epilepsy? 

If you are interested in accessing medicinal cannabis for a young person it is important to seek information and advice from the young person’s neurologist and/or treating doctor.  

The Epilepsy Action Australia website has a range of resources related to medicinal cannabis.

Why did the government introduce the new laws?

The Victorian Government introduced the new laws because they were worried about:

• Patients and their families illegally buying cannabis without their doctor’s knowledge;
• Patients using illegal cannabis that might have unknown ingredients added that could be harmful; and
• Patients using illegal cannabis which interferes with the medication their doctors are prescribing them.

The government wanted to introduce laws to test if medical cannabis can help patients with certain types of medical conditions.

What if someone wants to use cannabis but is not part of the trial?

If you’re not part of the trial, it is still illegal for you to use cannabis. It is important to remember that it is illegal to grow, have, use or sell cannabis.

If you’re looking for more information, consult with YouthLaw or call us at YoDAA on 1800458685.