The volume of imported medicinal cannabis jumped 74% in 2024, once again outstripping the growth of locally cultivated flower.
But the amount of home-grown cannabis did at least see a sizeable increase of its own, according to official annual data from the Office of Drug Control (ODC).
After a paltry 7% increase in Australian-grown cannabis in 2023, the volume last year climbed to 41,328kg, a rise of more than 55%.
Yet it still means the gap between local and imported cannabis widened.
In 2023, 44,573kg was imported. That climbed to 77,406kg in 2024, meaning imports exceeded Australian-cultivated flower by 87%, 20 percentage points higher than 2023.
The numbers will only add to the unrest among local businesses who feel they are dealt a raw deal by regulators who, they argue, do little to support Australian producers.
Indeed, their frustration is likely to mount after preliminary figures released at the United in Compassion symposium in February suggested local cultivation had outstripped that of imports in 2024.
ODC assistant secretary Avi Rebera stressed at the time that the numbers were indicative and could change.
Of equal concern will be the 158% increase of stockpiled locally grown cannabis as at December 31, 2024.
ODC data shows 38,206kg was held in stock, up from 14,787kg at the end of 2023, a year when 26,593kg of cannabis was produced by domestic cultivators.
Conversely, imported cannabis sitting in warehouses fell from 23,293kg to 18,101kg, a drop of 22%.
No data is provided on the age of the stockpiled cannabis.
Meanwhile, exports from Australia jumped 60% to 3,312kg. Half went to New Zealand (1,630kg, up 178% from 2023) and 40% to Germany (1,630kg, up 56%).
Exports to the UK almost halved to 343kg, with Poland (19kg) and Canada (9kg) the only other markets to receive cannabis from Australia, according to the ODC data, released late yesterday (Tuesday).
Canada remained the largest exporter to Australia by far.
The nation accounted for 80% of all imports – the same as 2023 – with 62,111kg arriving on Australian shores, 73% more than 2023.
The second largest exporter was South Africa with almost 5,000kg, a near 170% increase, representing 6.5% of the total.
Czechia sent cannabis to Australia for the first time since 2021, with 2,400kg (3% of total imports), with Denmark accounting for 2.7% (2,110kg), and Thailand and New Zealand 1.4%.
Flower arriving from NZ jumped 255% to 1,087kg.
Thailand, which saw exports soar from 11kg in 2023 to more than 1,000kg in 2024, is expected to see seismic growth this year.
Almost no cannabis arrived from Germany, with just 7kg exported from the European powerhouse, down 97% from 339kg in 2023.
Exports from Portugal and North Macedonia also fell away, by 31% and 59% to 1,000kg and 465kg respectively.
Data for 2025 is expected to be released in the third quarter of 2026.
In releasing the numbers, the ODC defined cannabis as the “flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant (excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops) from which the resin has not been extracted, by whatever name they may be designated”.
Additionally, the regulator defines stock as the amount of cannabis an entity has on hand, including from their own cultivation and production activities, cannabis purchased from another domestic source or imported, and cannabis retained for manufacture activities.