Cannabis Council Australia responds to international meta-analysis on cannabis and psychosis risk

A new international meta-analysis, led by researchers at the University of NSW and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, has reported an association between cannabis use and earlier onset of psychosis in adults. Cannabis Council Australia (CCA), the national peak body for medicinal cannabis, has responded saying that it values the publication of emerging evidence on the psychiatric risks associated with cannabis use that can inform safe prescribing and clear, evidence-based information for patients.

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“Where there are associated risks with any prescription medicine, they should be taken seriously and appropriately managed by a patient’s healthcare practitioner; in the case of medicinal cannabis products in Australia, this occurs within Australia’s medicinal cannabis patient access framework,” says CCA CEO Lisa Penlington.

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The analysis reviewed 149 observational studies involving more than 71,000 people since 2011. It found no earlier onset of psychosis among adolescent cannabis users, but progressively earlier onset among older age groups. 

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The studies included in the analysis did not distinguish between illicit cannabis use and prescribed medicinal cannabis taken under medical supervision. The authors note this as a limitation, along with difficulties in measuring exposure and drawing causal conclusions from observational evidence. The study shows an association between cannabis use and earlier onset of psychosis – not that cannabis causes psychotic disorders.

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“As with any new evidence, this study – notwithstanding its limitations – will inform prescribing health practitioners’ risk assessment which is normal, good medical practice,” says Ms Penlington. 

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The Therapeutic Goods Association undertook a consultation on the safety and quality of unapproved medicinal cannabis products from August to October 2026.

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“CCA has proposed to the TGA a fit-for-purpose patient access framework to strengthen product safety, clinical governance, evidence, accountability and patient information,” says Ms Penlington. “The objective being to bring these products into closer alignment with health system and community expectations.”

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