April recorded the weakest month for medicinal cannabis prescription approvals so far this year, according to the latest available data.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved 8,520 scripts during the month, a drop of nearly a quarter compared to March, and down 5% and 22% from January and February respectively.
Whether the decline reflects anything beyond the Easter and Anzac Day public holidays both falling within April remains unclear.
Schedule 4 approvals made up a larger portion than usual at 21%, sitting three to four percentage points above what has historically been typical.
Oil was the most common dosage form, making up 51% of approvals, with flower behind it at 38%.
A closer breakdown by age and gender revealed more pronounced variation across those categories.
Among 18 to 44-year-olds, flower accounted for 45% of prescriptions overall, climbing to nearly 50% for males within that group, while dropping to 37% for females.
Among the 547 patients aged between 65 and 74, flower was prescribed in only 14% of cases.
The state-by-state distribution of approvals held to its established pattern, with Queensland accounting for 40% of prescriptions as the leading state, ahead of Victoria at 37%, New South Wales at 16%, and Western Australia at 4%.
A WA Select Committee chaired by Legalise Cannabis MP Brian Walker last month put forward a set of recommendations aimed at loosening the strict regulatory conditions around medicinal cannabis access in that state.
