Introduction of fees and charges for cannabis-related manufacture

From 1 November 2020, subject to formal approval from the Federal Executive Council, cost recovery arrangements will be extended to cannabis-related manufacture licences and permits under the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme (the Scheme) in the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 (the Act). The key changes are listed below.

• Introduction of new terminology for manufacture licences and permits
• Introduction of fees and charges for cannabis-related manufacture licences and permits.
• Introduction of a new application fee, referred to as a triple application fee, when an applicant submits three applications for assessment at the same time for the same site;
• Extension of the concept of a non-commercial licence for research related to manufacture of medicinal cannabis which allows for limitations on the amount of annual charges that such licences holders must pay.

These reforms will complete the implementation of the findings from the costing review that was undertaken in late 2019 and early 2020. They will provide the ODC with a robust cost recovery framework that will recover adequate costs for the activities associated with the regulation of the Scheme.

These reforms do not apply to licences granted under the Act for the manufacture of other narcotics.

A Fact Sheet containing further information is available on the ODC website and more detailed information will be published online closer to 1 November 2020.

Please contact the Office of Drug Control at MCS.applications@health.gov.au if you would like specific information about how these changes affect you.