Terri Ramsey Beavers Are you wondering whether the sale of CBD gummies in Australia is legal? In this article, learn more about if CBD gummies are legal in Australia.
Unlike some medications, you won’t locate CBD gummies in a grocery shop as you may find paracetamol, vitamins, and similar substances. Getting a drug to market in Australia, even a non-prescription one, demands ample research and investment.
In Australia, CBD products were legal to consume and own in 2016 but needed a doctor’s regular prescription. This all changed in 2021, with CBD products being made legal to sell over the counter, like many other pharmaceutical products.
In Feb 2021, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) permitted the sale of low-dose (less than 150 mg a day) CBD products over the counter at Australian pharmacies after down-scheduling the substance from a Schedule 4 (prescription medicine) to a Schedule 3 (pharmacist-only medicine).
The implication is that Australian pharmacies can now supply “registered” low-dose CBD products over the counter and are fully prescription-free without having to pass through a “special access” scheme.
The Legal Process for Buying CBD Gummies in Australia
CBD Gummies are legal in Australia; however, purchasing them through a legal process is crucial, and there is currently only one legal pathway. Similar to other CBD products, the permit for sale requires TGA approval.
The legal process affects a consultation with a medical practitioner to define your eligibility based on your medical history and condition. If the doctor believes the CBD product to be correct, they’ll submit a request to approve your application on your behalf to the TGA.
When approved, the doctor will give you a valid prescription and list the steps to retrieving the CBD gummy, which depends on your state.
The Verdict
You need to have your CBD products listed on ARTG to supply low-dose CBD in pharmacies for sale officially. This is an intensive process with rigorous tests and trials.
When ARTG approves, the product fulfills regulatory quality expectations on safety, contaminants, microbial content, and potency; it meets the TGA standards, and the tests are performed in regulatory-grade laboratories.
Unfortunately, due to the lengthy approval process and other factors, we are still yet to see any CBD products available over the counter as of today. Because, to date, there is no record of a CBD product passing and getting approval from ARTG. Without this, pharmacist sales will not happen.
Choosing the Legal Path
1. Is buying CBD in Australia online legal? Yes. CBD products are legally purchased online, granted the appropriate permissions are available.
Many online European and US CBD suppliers will guarantee delivery of their CBD products after shipping to Australia. However, importing these products is illegal, and the Australian Border Force can seize them on arrival.
2. Is buying CBD in Australia online legal offline? Yes. But the availability of CBD gummies offline is relatively low due to the somewhat time-consuming process that one has to go through to purchase CBD products legally.
Legalities aside, however, many Australians have settled on buying CBD gummies on the grey market since the medical pathway is not the most straightforward. For this reason, many false claims are being made by some companies, with some mentioned on the TGA website.
Why Choose to Buy CBD Gummies Legally?
However, note that there are more reasons than not to obtain CBD products legally in Australia. Here are a few of the reasons:
1. Consistency
Studies show that unregulated CBD bought online rarely contains advertised CBD. When you take CBD gummies under the guidance of a doctor, the first step (called titration) is, to begin with a low quantity and gradually raise the dose until you find your adequate minimum amount.
Once this is determined, you know exactly how many milligrams of CBD you must take each time to get relief. How can you do this with unregulated gummies?
2. Safety
When you buy CBD products online, there is barely any guarantee of quality, tests performed, or regulatory standards covering their production. There is a huge likelihood that the products can include toxic substances such as molds, heavy metals, bacteria, toxins, and pesticides.
TGA does not perform any strict tests on these products to conform to their quality standards or grade medically, which can be a risk since CBD works as a medication.
3. Price
Many people think buying unregulated CBD gummies online costs less, but this is rarely the case, as online CBD gummies are often low quality and inconsistent. The regulated product you get from a pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription is consistent, high-quality, medical-grade products.
There are tests and specific quality standards legal products need to conform to match the accuracy of the content versus the advertisement. When likening it to products that are not regulated that barely have any CBD at all, is it a fair comparison?
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