Queensland topped the country for medicinal cannabis approvals under the Special Access Scheme in November, reclaiming the position for the first time in half a year.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved 5,320 SAS-B applications from Queensland out of 11,915 submitted nationally.
Victoria, which had held the lead across the prior five months, recorded 4,150 approvals.
November's approval total was the second highest recorded in 2023, pushing the year-to-date figure to 122,570. With one month still to come, that number has already exceeded both 2021 and 2022 totals.
High-THC category 5 medicines accounted for nearly half of all approvals in November, while CBD-only products made up 19% and category 3 medicines — which combine CBD and THC — contributed 17%.
Oral solutions were the most commonly approved delivery format, comprising 50% of SAS-B applications, with dried flower following at 36%.
Inhalation products accounted for 7% of approvals, with capsules at 2%.
Consistent with prior months, chronic pain was the leading condition for which medicinal cannabis was approved, at 42%, followed by anxiety at 33%, sleep disorders at 8%, and PTSD at 2%.
The SAS-B applications were generated by 906 subscribers.
