More than 50,000 approvals were issued for Australians aged 25 and under between 2016 and 2024, with anxiety the leading reason for treatment despite limited evidence and concerns about THC exposure.
Young Australians are being prescribed medicinal cannabis in growing numbers, with new data suggesting a sharp rise in approvals for under-25s since 2021 and a particular concentration among young adults aged 20 to 25. According to data from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, more than 50,000 medicinal cannabis product approvals were issued for people aged 25 and under between 2016 and 2024. Around 10% were for children under 15.
The most common reasons for treatment were anxiety and chronic pain, which together accounted for the majority of approvals. Anxiety made up 43% of cases, while chronic pain represented 28%. Neurodevelopmental conditions, including disorders affecting brain development and behaviour, accounted for 10%, and sleep disorders for 9%, according to the figures cited by researchers at the University of Melbourne.
The data also suggests that prescribing patterns differ markedly by age. Children under 15 were most often given oil-based products with higher levels of cannabidiol, or CBD, which is not intoxicating. By contrast, older teenagers and young adults were more likely to receive products higher in tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, often in inhaled form. General practitioners were the most common prescribers, underscoring how much of this market is being channelled through routine primary care rather than specialist services.
Dr Christine Hallinan, a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne medical school, said anxiety had become a much larger share of approvals than it had been previously. Speaking in comments reported by PerthNow, she warned that the endocannabinoid system plays a central role in child and adolescent brain development, particularly in areas linked to emotional regulation and fear. Hallinan also raised concerns about THC, saying it has been associated with psychosis, cannabis use disorder and reduced motivation. She further questioned the growth of online clinics and vertically integrated prescribing models, in which the prescriber works for, or is employed by, the supplier of the product being recommended.
The broader backdrop is a rapidly expanding medicinal cannabis market in Australia. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency has recently tightened scrutiny of prescribers, and other reporting has pointed to a surge in approvals and sales before a subsequent slowdown. But the latest age-specific data adds a more troubling dimension: the people most likely to be exposed are often those in a key stage of brain development, while the evidence base for using cannabis to treat anxiety and chronic pain remains limited.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
