Medicinal cannabis prescribers will come together in Queensland next month as the industry works to expand its knowledge base and affirm the medicine's place within the Australian healthcare system.
The Australian and New Zealand College of Cannabinoid Practitioners (ANZCCP) is hosting its third annual conference, featuring a roster of local and international speakers who will address the most pressing issues confronting the sector.
Built around the theme 'precision, compassion, evolution – the next chapter in cannabinoid medicine', the event will examine current research, provide clinicians with practical guidance, and advance broader understanding of cannabinoid medicine.
The conference arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry, which has faced sustained public attention over recent months — most recently after a high-profile paper published in Lancet Psychiatry cast doubt on the efficacy of medical cannabis.
ANZCCP vice president Dr Orit Holtzman said practitioners are under growing pressure to demonstrate that medicinal cannabis has a legitimate role in healthcare.
“Australia’s medicinal cannabis sector has grown at a pace that our frameworks simply weren’t designed for,” she said. “Prescriptions have skyrocketed, the TGA is actively reviewing its approach to unapproved products, and the industry is under increasing scrutiny from regulators, the medical establishment and the public.
“Across the Tasman, New Zealand faces its own challenges – company collapses, new advertising restrictions from Medsafe, and physicians still reluctant to prescribe due to limited clinical evidence and concerns about professional reputation.
“On both sides, clinicians are navigating prescribing standards, affordability barriers, and the pressure to demonstrate that this field deserves its place in legitimate healthcare.
“This is exactly why the ANZCCP conference exists. It brings together clinicians and researchers from across Australia and New Zealand doing this work at the coalface. If you’re a practitioner serious about raising the standard of care in this space, this is where you need to be.”
Among those presenting is ANZCCP board member Dr Michael Murphy, a New Zealand-based acute care clinician who will share perspectives on prescribing practices from across the Tasman.
The international speaker lineup also includes Israeli-based researcher Professor Dedi Meiri, a regular visitor to Australia, Dr Shiksha Gallow from South Africa who will speak on compassion in clinical cannabinoid practice, and Roei Zerahia from MSICS Pharma in Israel, who will present the latest findings in psilocybin research.
“Answers to our local challenges increasingly require a global perspective,” Dr Holtzman said.
The program will also cover topics including tolerance management, paediatric prescribing, ethics, legislation, and compliance.
The conference will be held at the Elysium Noosa Retreat from May 29 to 31.
Tickets and further details can be found here.
