Despite many claims of an evidence-based approach, the level of red tape surrounding access to medicinal cannabis in Tasmania has reached an all-time high. On yet another health front, we seem to be falling further and further behind the rest of the country.

As of February 1 low-dose cannabidiol can be sold in pharmacies across Australia, without the need for a prescription. The significant step came after the Therapeutic Goods Administration approved its sale, meaning adult patients no longer need a referral or specialist approval to access it legally.

The move was welcomed by pro-medicinal cannabis groups, such as Cannabis Doctors Australia, who said the shift to over-the-counter sales marked a huge step in reducing stigma and encouraging wider societal acceptance around medicinal cannabis - something used to treat a range of often serious and debilitating health issues.

But there's a catch. While it might be technically legal, access remains an issue, with no products actually approved for over-the-counter use. In fact, it could be another year before we see cannabidiol products hit the shelves - anywhere.

Outside of this, in Tasmania access to medicinal cannabis is regulated by a controlled access scheme. When launched in 2017, it was lauded by the state government as way of streamlining the process. But now in 2021, considering only 19 people have been approved for the scheme - less than half of all applications made by specialists on behalf of their patients - can it really be considered a success?

In fact despite the government's claims that it has led the country in calling for a "national, evidence-based response to provide safe access to medical cannabis", Tasmania remains the only state in Australia that has refused to join a national access scheme, operated by the TGA.

This was something laid bare in a Senate Committee tasked with investigating the barriers preventing patient access to medicinal cannabis last year.

That same committee recommended that the state government should "immediately" join all other jurisdictions in participating in the TGA's single national online application pathway. But this has not occurred.

Instead the government chooses to celebrate the achievements of Tasmanian Alkaloids who continue to increase the production of medicinal cannabis in a state where those desperate to access products cannot do so.

The hypocrisy is palpable.

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