Cannabis is becoming legal in Australia by stealth: Online providers prescribing marijuana and cannabis oil
But over the past four years there has been a historic shift in Australia's approach to its most popular illicit drug. Cannabis use is effectively being legalised by the growth of professional suppliers.
Leaked figures published Monday demonstrated how demand for medical cannabis is exploding. A single doctor at Montu, Australia's largest cannabis provider, wrote 72,000 prescriptions for the drug in two years, according to the Nine newspapers, a figure not challenged by the business.
Assuming the doctor averaged five days a week work for 46 weeks a year, that meant he or she issued 156 scripts each day. While the individual circumstances are unclear, Montu and its competitors are making cannabis relatively cheap and easy to obtain.
Amazon-like service
The company advertises 10-minute, $29 video calls with its doctors. Chronic pain and anxiety are two of the most common reasons for a prescription. Patients don't necessarily have to provide any further evidence they're ill.
Montu's wholesale cannabis supply business, Leafio, allows patients to order their drugs in a few minutes using a website almost as slick as Amazon's. Revenue last year was $263 million, according to The Age. On Google, the company has 1,192 reviews, averaging four stars. It has hired former health minister Greg Hunt to negotiate industry guidelines for prescribing cannabis over the phone and video calls.
A company spokesman said on Monday that some of its prescriptions are never used because they are for a different doses or cannabis products the patient decides they do not need. Others are repeat prescriptions for the same product.
'There is no requirement that the doctor appointment only takes 10 minutes,' the spokesperson said. 'The length of a consult is governed only by the time the doctor needs to perform a medical assessment which is dependent on the complexity of the medical history of the patient.'
Commercial drug market
The Government does not track the exact number of people who buy legal cannabis. But since legal medical use began in 2016, doctors have approved the drug 2.1 million times. Use accelerated in 2021 when a single, permanent licence was introduced for medical cannabis producers.
Demand quickly took off, helped by what Health Minister Mark Butler refers to as 'unscrupulous' medical cannabis companies. Some customers have reported being sent less cannabis than they paid for. Others were switched to brands, without their permission, more profitable for the supplier.
Doctors are concerned the system is being turned into a commercial drug market with little care for patients' health. 'The main problem is how do you differentiate a patient who is going to use it therapeutically from someone who is obtaining it to use themselves or give to someone else recreationally,' former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth said.
Three weeks ago a medical regulator, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, warned cannabis doctors to be more careful and said there was evidence some cannabis clinics were 'over-servicing' and operating in 'ethical grey areas'.
'We don't prescribe opioids to every patient who asks for them, and medicinal cannabis is no different,' Medical Board of Australia chair Susan O'Dwyer said at the time. 'Patient demand is no indicator of clinical need.'
Lower IQs
Cannabis is legal in almost half of the US and Canada. In Australia, it is decriminalised in South Australia and the Northern Territory, which means there is no criminal penalty for recreational use. Small quantities are legal in the ACT.
It has long been Australia's most popular recreational drug. In 2022, 3 per cent of Australian adults and teenagers reported using it for medical reasons. In total, 12 per cent of people reported consuming cannabis in the previous year. Another updated survey on use is underway.
While the health system facilitates use of the drug, other arms of the Government argue against it. The Federal and State Governments fund the Drug and Alcohol Foundation, which argues that cannabis consumption leads to lower IQs, 'diminished life satisfaction and achievement' and a higher risk of psychotic disorders.
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Working from home, which began as a crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has evolved into a lasting shift in workplace norms. Hybrid work is putting cash back into household budgets. But not all employers are keen. Some are taking a hard line on workplace flexibility, forcing some workers to decide whether their job is really worth it. So far, Amazon, Tabcorp and Dell are among large employers to issue strict return-to-office mandates, requiring staff this year to be in the office five days a week. But it's not cheap to get to work. The fluctuating cost of petrol, train and tram fares, tolls, parking costs, coffee and lunch adds up. Train fares in Sydney vary based on distance and the time of day. A single trip can range from $4.20 to $10.33. The daily cap for full-fare rides on Melbourne's public transport network is $11 a day. The average person spends about $99 a week on commuting costs, according to Finder, equivalent to $4367 a year. This includes $42 for fuel. Toll roads, parking and other costs such as car insurance are excluded. Public transport costs are about $39 a week on average. Not adding up Workers are feeling the pinch because their wages aren't keeping up with rising costs, leaving them worse off than they were a year ago. Wages increased 3.2 per cent over the past year, but it might not be enough to outpace the cost of living. The Consumer Price Index rose 2.4 per cent in the 12 months to February 2025. Everyday essentials like groceries, utilities, rent and fuel outstripped wage gains in many regions. A worker earning $80,000 a year receiving a 3.2 per cent raise will gain about $2560 a year. However, they are likely to be about $3000 worse off when rising costs across groceries, rent, fuel and other essentials are accounted for. Loading Working from home also allows workers to save money by having more time to handle household tasks, gardening, errands and childcare, and preparing meals at home rather than relying on takeaways. If you're commuting to the office, here are some ways to cut costs. Concessions: Check to see if you're eligible for any public transport concessions. Carpool: Find someone in your local area travelling at the same time each day and take it in turns to do the driving, halving your petrol costs. Carshare: If you don't use your car much beyond commuting, it could be worth considering carsharing. You can book a car by the day and let the owner pay maintenance and registration costs. Travel another way: Add it up. If it's cheaper to take public transport, walk or cycle to work, commit to travelling a cheaper way at least one or two days a week. Try a co-working space: Check if there is a co-working space in your suburb and ask your employer if you can work from there instead, which could halve the cost of your commute. Find cheaper parking: It might be convenient to park in the multi-storey carpark but look for cheaper or free parking spots further away and walk to the office from there.
