Medicinal cannabis comes in many forms such as oils, capsules, dried flower (for vaping), sprays, and edible forms like gummies.
Since Australia changed its rules in 2016, medicinal cannabis has become more accessible. The government has approved over 700,000 requests for its use. But one patient may have several approvals, and not all approved products are used.
About half of these approvals were for chronic pain that is not related to cancer. Chronic pain affects about one in five Australians aged 45 and older. It has a big impact on their daily lives.
A review from 2021 looked at 32 clinical trials with nearly 5,200 people who had chronic pain. The review found that medicinal cannabis led to small improvements in pain and physical ability compared to a placebo.
Another study showed that 24 people need to be treated with medicinal cannabis for one person to get a 30% reduction in pain.
The 2021 review also found small improvements in sleep but no clear benefits for other quality of life measures.
This means medicinal cannabis helps some people, but the overall benefit for most is small.
Many pain specialists say the evidence is not strong enough to support using medicinal cannabis widely for pain.
The Faculty of Pain Medicine, which trains pain doctors, says medicinal cannabis should only be used in clinical trials for now.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) agrees there is limited evidence that medicinal cannabis provides significant pain relief for many patients.
The TGA advises that medicinal cannabis should only be tried when other standard treatments have not worked well.
The TGA recommends using pharmaceutical-grade products, such as those containing THC and/or CBD in extracts, rather than inhaled cannabis, due to safety concerns.
Some people report that medicinal cannabis relieves their pain. This is common in real life because people respond differently to treatments based on many factors.
Research shows what usually works for most people, but individual experiences vary. Some patients may find improvements in pain, sleep, or well-being, especially when other treatments fail.
Medicinal cannabis can cause side effects. These are usually mild or moderate and include sleepiness, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, and slower thinking.
Higher doses of THC increase the chance of side effects. These stronger THC products are more common now and make up over half of approvals in 2025.
Studies show more people experience side effects than benefits.
Medicinal cannabis can also interact with other medicines, such as opioids, psychiatric drugs, blood thinners, and immune suppressants. Even CBD can cause serious drug interactions.
These risks rise when cannabis is prescribed by doctors who do not regularly manage the patient’s pain or communicate with other healthcare providers. Because medicinal cannabis is often prescribed through telehealth clinics, care may be less coordinated.
Another concern is cannabis use disorder (addiction). A 2024 study found that one in four people using medicinal cannabis develop this disorder. Withdrawal symptoms like irritability, sleep problems, or cravings can happen with heavy use.
Some people also develop tolerance, needing higher doses to feel effects, which can increase addiction risk.
Like many pain medicines, medicinal cannabis offers modest benefits. It is not recommended as the only treatment.
There is strong evidence that exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, and pain education help with conditions like back pain and carry fewer risks than many drugs.
However, access to these treatments can be difficult and costly for many Australians, especially outside cities.
More people are trying medicinal cannabis because chronic pain is common and other treatments sometimes fail.
While some patients benefit, the overall effects for most are small and must be balanced against risks.
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