Kate Turland, a passionate Australian producer of medicinal cannabis, is raising concerns about the future of homegrown cannabis production. While the demand for medicinal cannabis continues to rise across the country, the market is being flooded with imported products—jeopardizing the viability of domestic growers.
“In 2023, 61% of medicinal cannabis in Australia was imported,” Turland said. “This bulk flood of imports is squashing the ability for domestic producers to meet domestic demand.”
Turland believes that Australia has the capacity to produce all the medicinal cannabis products currently being brought in from overseas. He points out that domestically-produced cannabis offers more oversight when it comes to quality and accountability.
Although the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) mandates that all medicinal cannabis—imported or local—must meet Australian quality standards, Turland argues that local producers still face disproportionate regulatory hurdles. Recent changes aimed at levelling the playing field require overseas manufacturers to comply with stricter rules, but Turland insists the competition remains unfair.
In response, he’s joined 80% of licensed Australian producers in calling on the federal government to adopt a “domestic-first” policy. The proposal includes a production cap on imports to protect local industry. “Let’s say Australian producers can meet 50 tons of demand—then allow a 20-ton gap to be filled by importers,” Turland suggests.
One local success story is Tasmanian Botanics, a vertically integrated operation that grows, processes, and produces medicinal cannabis products on-site. Because of their integrated model, they’re less affected by foreign imports.
“It doesn’t really affect us too much—we’re set to compete,” a spokesperson for Tasmanian Botanics said.
Still, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson—who was the first Australian politician to publicly acknowledge using medicinal cannabis—warns that not every local business has the capacity to vertically integrate. “It’s a high-value product in a rapidly growing market,” he said. “I’d hate to see smaller growers go under simply because the government hasn’t adjusted the settings.”
After five years of fast-paced growth in the industry, Senator Whish-Wilson has pledged to raise the issue in federal parliament.
As the medicinal cannabis sector matures, Australian policymakers face increasing pressure to strike a balance—ensuring access to quality products without undercutting the very growers working to supply the local market.
