Health minister Greg Hunt has announced government has granted the first licence for an Australian company to grow and harvest medicinal cannabis.
The Department of Health’s Office of Drug Control has issued the licence under the medicinal cannabis provisions of the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 to Cannoperations Pty Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian company Cann Group Limited.
According to the minister, the announcement heralds the beginning of Australian domestic supply of medicinal cannabis products.
Supply from the licence will initially be for the Victorian market. But other licences for other Australian jurisdictions are expected to be issued shortly.
While the Australian supply of medicinal cannabis continues to develop, the government has authorised the importation and storage of the product from international sources for interim supply.
Cannoperations was subject to the necessary fit and proper person and security tests associated with processing licence applications, resulting in the Office of Drug Control granting a research licence on February 17 and the commercial licence on March 8.
Cannoperations now hold licences for both research and domestic patient supply purposes.