AUSTRALIAN medical cannabis sales tanked by over a quarter in the second half of 2025, following a clampdown on the previous ‘profit before patient’ model
A report from the Penington Institute shows that medical cannabis sales peaked in the second half of 2024 at 3.72m units before falling to 2.65m units in the second half of 2025 – a fall of by 28.5% – marking the first reversal since the market was legalised in early 2016.
This rapid decline follows a recent clampdown by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration which has issued dozens of infringement notices to six cannabis businesses and two individuals for the alleged unlawful advertising of medicinal cannabis on their websites and social media platforms.
Enforcement action was also taken against more than 50 medical practitioners. Concerns had first been raised in 2023 after claims that ‘high-volume clinics were prioritising profit over patient care through practices like brief consultations, unlawful advertising, and “closed loop” business models
However the Penington Institute warns the Australian government that while strengthening enforcement is important, this must be balanced with protecting patient access to cannabis.
“Evidence indicates that, amid the rapid growth of the sector, commercially driven structures and associated high-volume prescribing have been the weakest points in safeguarding patient wellbeing.
“The recent increase in regulatory compliance and enforcement represents a positive development and is likely a key factor in the observed decline in medicinal cannabis sales in late 2025.”
Three years until an Israeli smoking ban?
Israel’s Health Ministry has recommended an end to the use and marketing of medical cannabis for smoking within the next three years.
This follows a 2023 recommendation by the Israel Medical Association that medical cannabis be administered primarily in oil form so that the harmful effects of smoking are mitigated.
The plan would phase out the smoking of medical cannabis and patients would use extracts or precision inhalers.
There has been a sharp uptick in the number of medical cannabis license holders from 33,000 in 2019 to 140,000 in 2025, said Dr Gilad Bodenheimer, head of the ministry’s mental health division, and chairman of the ministry’s special committee on medical cannabis.
According to the data presented to the committee, 62% of patients consume more than 30 grams of cannabis per month.
There is widespread use of preparations with high-THC concentrations, which appear in about 88% of licences, as well as an almost complete dominance of consumption by smoking.
The medical group noted that smoking cannabis ‘is more typical of recreational consumption than of consumption as part of medical treatment’ and added that the ‘widespread practice of mixing cannabis with tobacco’ is a factor in ‘an increase in tobacco addiction and an increase in smoking rates’.
Bedrocan diversifies
Dutch cannabis stalwart Bedrocan has launched a new product line of standardised cannabinoid-based formulations, known as Bedromed.
They come in two dispensing formulations as a spray, and as drops with Bedromed spray being a standardised cannabinoid-based formulation developed for sublingual administration based on Bedrocan® and Bedrolina® cannabis APIs.
Whilst Bedromed drops is a standardised cannabinoid-based formulation developed for oromucosal administration and is based on Bedrocan® cannabis API.
CEO, Jaap Erkelens said: “The launch of Bedromed is a significant expansion of our portfolio, allowing us to bring our trusted API closer to the patient alongside our core commitment to API supply.
“By offering new cannabinoid-based formulations, we ensure that the pharmaceutical-grade consistency we are known for is now accessible in modern, patient-appropriate delivery formats.”
Cannabis ‘less harmful’
Adolescents in California see cannabis as less harmful than other commonly used substances, according to a new study.
Shu-Hong Zhu, professor at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and co-authors, examined how teens view the risks of everyday and occasional use of cannabis compared to alcohol, nicotine vapes and cigarettes, drawing on responses from more than 175,000 students across surveys conducted in 2019–2020 and 2024.
The findings show a clear and persistent pattern; Cannabis is viewed as the least harmful substance among respondents.
In the earlier survey, about two-thirds of adolescents considered regular cannabis use harmful, compared to higher proportions for alcohol, vaping and cigarettes.
While perceptions of harm were lower across all substances for occasional use, cannabis remained the least concerning to teens. These trends held steady in the 2024 data, suggesting that adolescents’ relatively low perception of cannabis-related risk has remained consistent over time.
