University of Queensland researchers who examined 54 Australian medicinal cannabis clinic websites have alleged almost half are egregiously breaking TGA advertising rules.
The team identified the clinics via Google searches using keywords such as ‘plant medicine’ and ‘green medicine’, then examined their websites to check for breaches.

They evaluated material against six TGA guidelines on medicinal cannabis advertising and classified 47% as being in “high breach” by breaking two or more of the rules.
Writing in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, the team said there was “significant non-compliance” by referring to medicinal cannabis in promotional materials and listing health conditions that can be treated with the medicine.
Meanwhile, they noted “partial compliance” with guidance on advertising health services related to cannabis without explicitly using the term.
In The Conversation, study authors Carmen Lim and Wayne Hall said the research revealed “widespread” breaches, including the use of cannabis imagery and the term ‘plant-based medicine’, despite the regulator warning against the practice in its updated guidance issued in December 2023.
They also identified clinics which were making unsubstantiated health claims and allowing patients to assess their own eligibility for treatment.
“Self-assessment may mislead people into believing they would benefit from it [medicinal cannabis], inadvertently ‘coaching’ them on which medical conditions might warrant a prescription,” they said.
“Self-assessment might also lead people to believe they require more medicinal cannabis than is medically necessary.”
Other “marketing tactics” identified included same-day or after-hours delivery, no requirement for GP referrals, discounted consultation fees, discreet delivery and targeted advertising on social media.
The authors added: “These practices challenge the intent of the TGA guidelines to ensure responsible prescribing, and push the boundaries of permissible prescribing.”