Medicinal cannabis: New Aussie grown CBD oil prescription to cut costs

Jo Freeman’s son Cooper has a rare form of epilepsy that is being treated with prescription cannabis oil but the cost has reached more than $60K a year. Now a new product will dramatically cut the price.

Australians paying as much as $60,000 for prescription cannabis oil will soon be able to get a more affordable, locally-grown option.

Jo Freeman’s son Cooper, now aged nine, has a rare form of epilepsy that is resistant to most standard medications.

“At age five, he went a full year without a seizure on Tilray (prescription CBD) and we have been paying up to $60,000 a year ourselves and we can’t afford that any more,” the single mum said.

The cost has driven many families onto the black market.

Currently prices for medical cannabis oils range from $190 to $425 for 30ml but a new Australian-grown product called Elan is now available for $174 for a 30ml bottle.

Elan is produced by the Australian Natural Therapeutics Group (ANTG), one of the largest local medicinal cannabis growers based outside Armidale.

ANTG chief executive officer Matt Cantelo said its Australian-made oil would be available on August 9 and was the cheapest on the market.

“It’s going to be a lot cheaper, so I’d give anything a go,” Ms Freeman said.

Jo Freeman with her nine-year-old son Cooper who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy. Picture: Tim Hunter

Medicinal cannabis has seen record Therapeutic Goods Administration approvals for prescriptions.

In June, 9461 prescriptions were approved, the third-highest monthly figure since medicinal cannabis was legalised and more than doubling last June’s approvals.

“There are more than 100,000 people in Australia who heavily rely on medicinal cannabis for everything from chronic pain and anxiety to epilepsy or palliative care,” Mr Cantelo said.

“Most products available in Australia are imported, in the early days there was almost a monopoly so they could charge what they wanted, but competition is heating up now.

“Unfortunately when you go to the black market you don’t always know what you are getting, so it’s buyer beware.

“Out our economies of scale have allowed us to match that black market price. It’s a clean and pure product available on prescription.”

You can obtain a prescription for medicinal cannabis product by the special access scheme (an individual prescription approved by the TGA) or a prescription from an authorised prescriber doctor.

Originally published as Medicinal cannabis: New Aussie grown CBD oil prescription to cut costs