In Australia, medical cannabis is a prescription product — and getting access to it means working through one of three formal TGA pathways: the Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS-B), the Authorised Prescriber scheme, or a telehealth clinic that navigates the TGA process on your behalf. None of these pathways is the same as buying over-the-counter hemp-derived CBD oil from an online shop. We explain how each pathway works, what a patient in Byron Bay or anywhere in NSW can expect, and where the two categories — prescription medical cannabis and OTC hemp CBD oil — actually sit in Australian law.
What Is Medical Cannabis in Australia?
Medical cannabis in Australia refers to cannabis-derived products that are approved for prescription use through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Most medical cannabis products are classified as Schedule 4 (Prescription Only) or Schedule 8 (Controlled Drug) under the Poisons Standard — Australia's national framework for scheduling medicines.
The TGA is the Australian government body that regulates all therapeutic goods in this country, including medicines, medical devices and biologicals. Medical cannabis sits within the "unapproved therapeutic goods" category — meaning it is not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) as a standard approved medicine, but it can be accessed through specific TGA pathways. You can find the current framework at tga.gov.au.
This is the landscape that matters for anyone in Northern Rivers NSW — Ballina, Byron Bay, Bangalow, Mullumbimby, Lismore — asking how to access a prescription cannabis product through a doctor. It is also the reason we want to be clear about what FraLa CBD is and is not. For the full legal picture, see our guide to CBD oil laws in Australia.
Pathway 1 — Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS-B)
The Special Access Scheme Category B, known as SAS-B, is the pathway most Australian patients have historically used to access medical cannabis. The key feature of SAS-B is that it is a per-patient application — the prescribing doctor applies to the TGA for approval to supply a specific unapproved product to a specific patient.
Who can apply: Any Australian-registered medical practitioner — including a general practitioner — or nurse practitioner can submit an SAS-B application. The prescriber is responsible for providing clinical justification for why the product is appropriate for the individual patient and why an approved alternative is not suitable.
How the process works:
- You see your GP or treating doctor.
- The doctor decides whether to apply for an SAS-B approval.
- The doctor submits the application through the TGA SAS/AP Online System — as of 1 July 2024, the only accepted channel.
- If the TGA approves the application, the doctor can issue a prescription.
- The prescription is filled at a licensed pharmacy.
The patient does not deal directly with the TGA. The application is the prescriber's responsibility. Not every GP is familiar with the SAS-B process; some are comfortable applying, others refer patients to specialists or telehealth cannabis clinics that handle the paperwork routinely.
SAS-B approvals are issued per product per patient. Renewal applications are needed when the approval period expires. Processing time varies.
Pathway 2 — Authorised Prescriber (AP)
The Authorised Prescriber scheme is the other main federal pathway. The difference from SAS-B is in who holds the approval: an Authorised Prescriber is a doctor who has received TGA standing approval to prescribe specific unapproved therapeutic goods — including certain medical cannabis products — to a class of patients, rather than applying individually for each person.
If you see an Authorised Prescriber, there is no per-patient TGA application; the doctor already holds the authority to prescribe within the class of patients they are approved for. This makes the process faster at the point of care.
To become an Authorised Prescriber, a doctor must obtain approval from either the TGA or an approved Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and must report prescribing data to the TGA. This means AP-holders tend to be practitioners who have developed a focused practice in this area.
For patients in Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers, whether a doctor uses SAS-B or AP standing, the consultation experience is similar. The difference is administrative: how quickly approval moves and who carries the TGA paperwork burden.
Pathway 3 — Telehealth Clinics
For most Australian patients — including people in regional NSW — the practical route to medical cannabis runs through a telehealth cannabis clinic. These clinics connect patients with AHPRA-registered doctors or nurse practitioners experienced in the SAS-B and Authorised Prescriber frameworks.
The typical patient journey from Byron Bay or anywhere in Northern Rivers:
- Book online and complete a short pre-screening questionnaire.
- Attend a video or phone consultation with a registered doctor or nurse practitioner, who reviews your medical history and assesses suitability.
- If the doctor proceeds, they apply under SAS-B or prescribe directly as an Authorised Prescriber — the clinic handles the regulatory paperwork.
- Once approval is in place, the prescription is filled through a partnered pharmacy, typically with delivery to your door.
Several of the larger clinics have vertically integrated operations: the clinic, the cannabis supply chain, and the dispensary may be part of the same corporate group. That is a structural feature of the current market.
The four clinics with the most visible Australian presence are:
- Alternaleaf (operated by Montu) — one of Australia's largest telehealth cannabis clinics. See our Alternaleaf overview and Montu overview.
- Polln — AHPRA-registered doctors; 30-minute video consultations. See our Polln overview.
- easykind — phone and video consults; no referral required. See our easykind overview.
- MyLeaf — a telehealth cannabis clinic operating Australia-wide.
Typical costs: Initial consultation fees generally fall in the $0–$250 range (nurse vs doctor consult); many are not Medicare-rebatable. Monthly medication costs vary considerably by product and dosage. Each clinic publishes its own fee schedule. NSW Health also maintains patient guidance — see NSW Health cannabis medicines for the state-level overlay on the federal TGA framework.
From our CBD oil range
CBD Oil 1000mg – Full Spectrum
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CBN Oil 12000mg – Cannabinol
Cannabinol — the cannabinoid that forms as raw hemp ages. 12000mg of CBN isolate in 50ml of MCT oil (240mg per ml). A common choice for evening routines among people already familiar with CBD.
CBD Oil 6000mg – Broad Spectrum
Broad-spectrum CBD — all the supporting cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp plant, with THC removed. 6000mg in a 50ml MCT bottle (120mg per ml).
Medical Cannabis vs OTC Hemp-Derived CBD Oil — Two Different Things
This is the distinction that matters most if you have landed on this page from a search about CBD oil in Australia.
Medical cannabis is a prescription product. It includes cannabis products that may contain meaningful amounts of THC or high-dose cannabidiol (CBD). It requires a doctor, a TGA approval (under SAS-B or an Authorised Prescriber), and a licensed pharmacy to dispense.
OTC hemp-derived CBD oil — which is what FraLa CBD sells — is a different category. Our products are hemp-derived cannabidiol oils: full-spectrum CBD oil (trace THC under 0.3%), broad-spectrum CBD oil (0% THC), CBG oil, CBN oil, and pet CBD oil. They are sold online without a prescription under the consumer product framework for low-THC hemp products.
FraLa CBD is not a clinic, does not provide medical advice, and does not have a prescribing function. Our products are available directly from the FraLa CBD shop, including our full-spectrum CBD oil range from $89.95.
If you want a prescription medical cannabis product, speak with your GP about SAS-B access or contact a telehealth cannabis clinic. If you want an OTC hemp-derived CBD oil shipped directly to your door in Byron Bay NSW or anywhere in Australia, visit our shop.
Getting Medical Cannabis in Byron Bay and Northern Rivers NSW
For patients in Ballina, Byron Bay, Lennox Head, Bangalow, Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby, specialist cannabis clinics are rare outside metropolitan centres. That does not limit access, because any GP in the region can apply under SAS-B, and every major telehealth cannabis clinic operates Australia-wide. A Byron Bay patient books the same video consultation, sees the same doctors, and goes through the same TGA process as a patient in any capital city. If your existing GP is not familiar with SAS-B, you can use a telehealth clinic without a referral.
Common Questions
Can any GP prescribe medical cannabis in Australia? Yes. Any AHPRA-registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner can apply under the Special Access Scheme Category B on a patient's behalf. Not all GPs are familiar with the SAS-B process, but there is no restriction by specialty. Telehealth cannabis clinics exist specifically for practitioners who handle these applications routinely.
Do I need a specialist referral for medical cannabis? No referral is required for the SAS-B pathway or for a telehealth cannabis clinic consultation. Some telehealth clinics ask for medical records or a brief pre-screening before booking, but a referral from another doctor is not mandatory.
How long does it take to get a medical cannabis prescription? This depends on the pathway and the clinic. An Authorised Prescriber can issue a prescription at the point of the consultation because the TGA approval is already in place. SAS-B applications require the TGA to process the application first — processing times vary. Telehealth clinics typically quote turnaround in terms of days to weeks for a full SAS-B pathway.
Is FraLa CBD's CBD oil the same as medical cannabis? No. FraLa CBD sells OTC hemp-derived CBD oil — not prescription medical cannabis. Our products contain no psychoactive levels of THC and are available online without a prescription. Prescription medical cannabis is a different product category, dispensed through a pharmacy with a doctor's prescription and TGA approval. See our full product range or the CBD oil laws guide for the regulatory distinction.
