The first Far North Medicinal Cannabis pharmacy, Wildleaf Dispensary, has opened

The first Far North medicinal cannabis pharmacy has opened its doors in Cairns after the co owner identified a gap in the market. See the details.

The first Far North medicinal cannabis pharmacy has opened its doors in Cairns after the co owner identified a gap in the market.

Wildleaf Dispensary, located at 321 Sheridan Street, officially opened its doors on Monday August 21.

Wildleaf Dispensary co-owner and pharmacist Janelle Dockray said the new pharmacy addresses a gap in Cairns’ health care facilities.

“We started to see the use of medicinal cannabis growing in the community with more prescriptions coming through and patients needing more help to navigate this area of medicine,” Mrs Dockray said.

“There can be a lot of confusion when it comes to accessing medicinal cannabis, so we felt a

specialised dispensary in plant-based medicine would be the best way to support the Cairns community.”

According to the Queensland Government website, doctors require a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval to prescribe unregistered medicinal cannabis products in Queensland.

These approvals are granted under the Commonwealth Department of Health, Special Access Scheme Category B (SAS Cat B) or Authorised Prescriber Schemes.

Mrs Dockray said she became personally familiar with this type of medicine because of her family history.

“A few years ago, my father-in-law Ian Dockray suffered a serious accident that resulted in him being a quadriplegic,” Mrs Dockray said.

“He suffers with severe pain and insomnia but has been able to find some relief thanks to medicinal cannabis.”

Mr Dockray confirmed he is on a ventilator and has a lot of trouble sleeping.

“I was taking sleeping tablets and they only worked for a few hours, but now I use cannabis oil and I sleep all night, no problem at all,” Mr Dockray said.

“I am pleased there will soon be an easier way for patients to access medicinal cannabis in Far North Queensland.

“I found it really hard to get a doctor to recommend medicinal cannabis for me. I’ve heard this is a common struggle.”

The team at Wildleaf Dispensary have all undergone specialist training with the therapy and there is a medicinal cannabis nurse onsite to help patients with any questions.

The pharmacy will offer a range of cannabis medications, and will be able to provide compound medications, ensuring each patient can access medicine tailored to their needs.