Compliance guide
Can Medicinal Cannabis Clinics Advertise in Australia?
Quick answer — Can cannabis clinics advertise?
Not in any way that promotes medicinal cannabis. Advertising prescription medicines — which almost all medicinal cannabis products are — to the public is prohibited under sections 42DL(10) and 42DLB(7) of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. TGA guidance states that health-service advertisements that mention medicinal cannabis, directly or indirectly, will likely be unlawful advertisements for medicinal cannabis. Clinics can promote consultation services in pathway-neutral terms, but cannot name cannabis, its synonyms, products, or the conditions it might treat.
Why the prohibition is broader than most clinics expect
Medicinal cannabis products meet Schedule 4 or Schedule 8 criteria in the Poisons Standard, which makes them prescription medicines — and prescription medicines cannot be advertised to the Australian public. The TGA interprets 'advertising' expansively: any statement, pictorial representation or design that promotes use or supply, across websites, social media, mass emails, webinars, articles, booking systems, price lists and business names.
The updated TGA guidance goes further than many operators realise. The prohibition extends to synonyms — 'plant medicine' is called out by name, along with any word that becomes colloquially synonymous with cannabis — and to imagery, including leaves in logos and business names that reference cannabis.
What clinics can lawfully say
A clinic can describe its consultation model, practitioner qualifications, telehealth process, fees and booking logistics — provided a reasonable consumer would not conclude the clinic is promoting cannabis or offering itself as a means to obtain it. That last clause is the practical test the TGA applies in its own guidance examples: a pain-management clinic that lists 'medicinal cannabis consultation and prescribing' among its services is used in TGA guidance as an example of likely unlawful advertising.
Information a practitioner gives a patient during a consultation is exempt. Mass communications to prospective customers are not — the TGA has explicitly warned that emails, texts and webinars to prospects are unlikely to qualify for the exemption.
What enforcement looks like in practice
Over a recent two-year period the TGA issued more than 165 infringement notices totalling over $2.3 million for unlawful medicinal cannabis advertising, and commenced Federal Court proceedings against operators including Montu Group and Alternaleaf — where the regulator also alleges the companies' director is personally liable. One batch alone in 2025 saw 35 notices totalling $627,252 issued to six businesses and two individuals.
Maximum civil penalties reach $1.82 million per breach for individuals and $18.2 million per breach for corporations — figures as at the $364 penalty unit in force from 1 July 2026. From 2026, medicinal cannabis is a named priority focus area in the TGA's compliance framework, with quarterly reviews and proactive surveillance of digital channels — meaning breaches are found without anyone filing a complaint.
Frequently asked questions
Can a clinic mention conditions like chronic pain or anxiety?
Naming serious conditions in connection with a service known for cannabis prescribing is likely a restricted representation and is the most common pattern in published infringement notices. Pathway-neutral language is the safe alternative.
Can a clinic say 'alternative medicine' or 'natural therapies' instead?
Risky. The prohibition covers words that are colloquially synonymous with medicinal cannabis. If your audience reads the phrase as cannabis, the TGA likely will too.
Are Google Ads and SEO titles covered?
Yes — paid ads and search snippets are advertisements. Several enforcement actions cite website and social media content together.
Does this apply to pharmacies and brands too?
Yes. The prohibition applies to anyone advertising to the public: clinics, pharmacies, licensed suppliers, brands, agencies and publishers.
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