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Office of Drug Control

We regulate and monitor the cultivation, import, export and manufacture of controlled substances to comply with Australia's obligations under International Drug Conventions. This includes the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

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Regulation

We regulate access to controlled drugs for medical and scientific purposes. Other authorities also regulate specific controlled drugs like medicinal cannabis.

  • International Conventions

    Three key international conventions inform how controlled substances are regulated by the Office of Drug Control.

  • Medicinal cannabis

    Manufacturing, cultivating, importing and/or exporting medicinal cannabis in Australia.

  • Related authorities

    Other state and federal government authorities have their own legislation to manage controlled substances.

Industry and travellers

We have information for people who want to import, export or work with controlled drugs.

  • Icon - Cultivators and producers

    Cultivators and producers

    You must get licences and permits to cultivate, produce, harvest or handle medicinal cannabis in Australia.

  • Icon - Importers

    Importers

    You must get a licence and permit to import commercial quantities of controlled substances into Australia. This includes medicinal cannabis.

  • Icon - Exporters

    Exporters

    Drug control information for exporters, including but not limited to medicinal cannabis, narcotic and psychotropic drugs and precursor chemicals from Australia.

  • Icon - Manufacturer

    Manufacturers

    Drug control information for manufacturers, including the manufacture of narcotic and psychotropic drugs in Australia.

  • Icon - Travellers

    Travellers

    Information on travelling into or out of Australia with medicines, cannabis, kava or other controlled substances for personal use or medical kits.

  • Icon - Health professionals

    Health professionals

    Information for health professionals importing unapproved drugs into Australia under the Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber pathways.

  • Icon - Medical or special aid missions

    Medical aid missions

    Information for organisations and healthcare teams travelling to or from Australia with medicines, medical devices or medical kits as part of a medical aid mission.

  • Icon - Health professionals, Sporting teams

    Sporting teams

    Drug control information for sporting teams travelling into or out of Australia with medicines, medical devices or medical kits.

  • Icon - Military personnel

    Military personnel

    Information for military personnel travelling to or from Australia with medicines, medical devices and medical kits.

Search controlled substances

ODC permission is required to import, export, cultivate, manufacture or produce substances in this database.

 
 

Browse drug control information by topic

  • Kava

    Kava brought into Australia has set amounts for personal use or for commercial food use.

  • Medicinal cannabis

    Manufacturing, cultivating, importing and/or exporting medicinal cannabis in Australia.

  • Khat

    Khat (Catha edulis) is a prohibited substance cannot be imported into Australia.

  • Monitoring and compliance

    Find out how we monitor the legal cultivation, production and manufacture of controlled drugs and our compliance activities like inspections and fines.

  • Hemp products

    Some specific hemp seed and fibre products may be imported without requiring a licence and permit from the Office of Drug Control (ODC).

  • Importing vaping goods into Australia

    Learn Australia's vaping import requirements, including ODC licences, permits, traveller exemptions, and rules for devices, nicotine, and cannabis vaping goods.

News

Read our news and media releases.

View all news articles

Have your say

You can comment on Office of Drug Control reviews and reforms when we run public consultations on the Consultation hub. You'll find information about previous consultations on our consultation page. 

Consultation hub

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