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The Medicinal Cannabis Expert Working Group (MCEWG) met for its sixth meeting on Tuesday 19 August 2025.
The MCEWG membership is comprised of experts in the medicinal cannabis field including general practitioners, consumer and industry representatives and specialists in pharmacy, mental health and pain management.
MCEWG discussion
The following topics were discussed:
Update on the progress of the TGA consultation paper - Addressing growing safety concerns with use of medicinal cannabis products:
The MCEWG was updated on TGA’s consultation paper - Consultation: Reviewing the safety and regulatory oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products (the consultation paper). The consultation paper was released on 11 August and is open for public submissions until 7 October 2025. Prior to publication, the TGA had consulted affected stakeholders, including MCEWG members, to ensure relevant issues were addressed. Ongoing engagement will continue. All submissions will be reviewed by the TGA and used to inform future regulatory recommendations.
Policy approaches for high THC concentration medicinal cannabis
A presentation examined the effectiveness of various policy approaches for high THC concentration medicinal cannabis, analysing each method for potential unintended outcomes — whether theoretical or research-based—and summarising these findings for member analyses and feedback on a recommended path forward.
Terms of reference and review of the MCEWG
The discussion focused on the Terms of Reference of the MCEWG. The MCEWG began work in April 2024 with a two-year term ending in March 2026. The purpose of this agenda item was to begin the review process considering areas of work and the composition of the group going forward.
Unapproved medicinal cannabis products: challenges in pharmacovigilance
A discussion on challenges in pharmacovigilance for unapproved medicinal cannabis products. Comparisons were made on the framework for approved versus unapproved products to highlight key issues.
Next meeting
The next MCEWG meeting will be held in November 2025.