Medicinal Cannabis Supply in Australia

Green Leaf Global holds two primary Australian authorisations. First, an active ODC import permit (DCS-25-IMP-5295) issued by the Office of Drug Control under the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967, which authorises the importation of specified medicinal cannabis products from overseas GMP-certified suppliers. Second, a NSW Wholesale Poisons Licence (Schedule 4 and Schedule 8) issued by the NSW Ministry of Health under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966, which authorises the storage and wholesale supply of Schedule 8 controlled substances to licensed pharmacies and authorised healthcare facilities. Both licences are current and maintained in good standing. All activity is conducted in compliance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.

The Authorised Prescriber (AP) pathway allows a TGA-endorsed practitioner to prescribe a specific medicinal cannabis product to a class of patients on an ongoing basis without individual TGA notifications. The Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS-B) pathway requires the prescribing practitioner to submit a notification to the TGA each time they prescribe an unapproved product to a specific patient. From a wholesale supply perspective, both pathways result in the same transaction — a pharmacy places an order with us and we supply under DDA documentation. The AP pathway tends to generate more predictable, recurring orders. SAS-B orders can be more variable. We accommodate both. If your clinic or pharmacy operates primarily under the AP model, we recommend establishing a standing order arrangement to simplify procurement.

To purchase Schedule 8 medicinal cannabis from Green Leaf Global, a pharmacy must hold a current pharmacy licence and a valid authority to possess and supply Schedule 8 substances in their state or territory. In NSW, this means holding a Pharmacy Approval under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation and complying with DDA storage requirements. We conduct a qualification check before establishing a new wholesale account — this involves verifying licence details with the relevant state or territory authority and confirming that the pharmacy has appropriate Schedule 8 storage infrastructure in place. The process is not onerous. Authorised prescribing clinics and specialist facilities holding appropriate Schedule 8 authority may also be eligible to order directly under certain circumstances. Contact us to discuss your specific situation.

Orders filled from existing in-country stock are typically dispatched within one to two business days of receipt of a valid purchase order. Delivery timeframes from our NSW storage facility depend on the destination state — NSW pharmacies generally receive orders within one to two business days of dispatch. Interstate deliveries typically run two to four business days via temperature-monitored courier. Where a product is not in current stock and requires a new import cycle, the lead time includes the ODC permit application period (20 to 30 business days), plus overseas manufacturing and shipping time, plus customs clearance. We strongly recommend that high-volume accounts discuss forward planning and stock reservation with us to avoid supply interruptions. We proactively manage our import pipeline to minimise out-of-stock events for regular accounts.

Each wholesale supply from Green Leaf Global is accompanied by a tax invoice, a DDA supply record or equivalent Schedule 8 authority documentation required under applicable state or territory legislation, and the Certificate of Analysis for the relevant batch. The CoA is from an independent accredited laboratory and confirms cannabinoid profile, batch number, and compliance with product specifications. Where product is subject to cold-chain requirements, a temperature log for the transport leg may also be provided. All documentation is retained by Green Leaf Global for the statutory record-keeping period. Pharmacies receiving product are required to record the receipt in their own DDA registers and should retain our supply documentation for inspection purposes.

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a set of internationally recognised standards for pharmaceutical manufacturing — covering facility design, quality control systems, documentation, batch traceability, and product release procedures. In the Australian medicinal cannabis context, the TGA expects that therapeutic goods sourced from overseas manufacturers come from facilities that are GMP-certified, either by a recognised international regulatory authority or through direct TGA audit. The ODC also considers GMP standing when assessing import permit applications. Practically, GMP certification means the product has been manufactured under controlled and auditable conditions — reducing the risk of contamination, mislabelling, or cannabinoid profile variance. Every supplier in Green Leaf Global's supply chain holds current GMP certification. We verify this prior to onboarding any supplier and monitor certification currency on an ongoing basis. Details of our compliance framework are available on request.

The majority of medicinal cannabis products currently available in Australia — including those distributed by Green Leaf Global — are supplied as unapproved therapeutic goods under the TGA's access pathways (SAS-B and Authorised Prescriber), rather than as ARTG-registered or ARTG-listed products. This is the standard model for the Australian medicinal cannabis market at present. A small number of products have achieved ARTG registration, but most products remain in the unapproved category. Supply of unapproved goods is lawful where the supply is made to, or on behalf of, a patient holding a valid prescription under an approved pathway. Our supply chain documentation reflects this structure — every supply is linked to a prescribing pathway authorisation. We are monitoring the ARTG registration landscape closely and will update our product portfolio as the regulatory environment evolves.

The process for opening a wholesale account is straightforward. Contact us via the enquiry form on our Contact page or email admin@greenleafglobalimport.com with your pharmacy or facility name, your state or territory pharmacy licence number (or Schedule 8 authority reference), your ABN, and the name and contact details of the responsible pharmacist or authorised person. We will verify your licence details and confirm the Schedule 8 authority held for your premises. Once verified, we will issue account terms, a wholesale supply agreement, and onboard you into our ordering system. For pharmacies joining a dispensing network or clinic group, we can arrange group account arrangements. The entire onboarding process typically takes three to five business days from receipt of complete documentation.