NATSIAACC has made a submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in response to its consultation on the safety and regulatory oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products.

As the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ageing and aged care, our submission calls for culturally safe, Elder and Older Person-informed governance and trauma-aware, healing-informed approaches to be embedded within medicinal cannabis regulation to protect the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People.

While this consultation focuses on medicinal cannabis products, these regulatory decisions intersect directly with the health and aged care systems experienced by Elders and Older People, particularly those living with chronic pain, complex health conditions and palliative care needs. This makes NATSIAACC’s input critical to ensuring cultural safety, trust, and equitable access are upheld.

We emphasise that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People, true safety is achieved when regulation respects identity, lived experience, connection to community, and Country and/or Island Home, and does not unintentionally push people toward unsafe or illicit markets.

Our key recommendations include:

• Embedding NATSIAACC’s Cultural Safety Definition into the medicinal cannabis regulatory framework.

• Making cultural safety and trauma-informed practice central requirements for prescribing and oversight.

• Strengthening labelling, monitoring and medication review processes to reduce polypharmacy and safety risks.

• Restricting high-risk forms such as smoking and vaping, and prioritising safer oral alternatives.

• Introducing a THC cap of 15–20% for unapproved products to align with international safety standards.

• Establishing culturally safe reporting pathways through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.

• Creating a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory mechanism within the TGA’s regulatory reform process.

This submission forms part of NATSIAACC’s ongoing advocacy to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People are protected, informed, and supported through regulatory systems that uphold cultural authority, safety, and self-determination.

Click here to download a copy of NATSIAACC’s Submission.