Is CBD oil legal in Australia — the current rules
CBD oil is legal in Australia. It’s also regulated. Those two facts cause most of the confusion — people hear “legal” and assume they can buy it the same way they’d buy vitamins off a shelf. They can’t. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) controls how CBD products are classified, sold and accessed across the country. Understanding the scheduling system clears up most of the questions.
Australia changed its rules in February 2021 when the TGA down-scheduled certain low-dose CBD products from Schedule 4 (prescription-only) to Schedule 3 (pharmacist-only). That decision opened a new pathway for adults to access CBD without a doctor’s prescription — but only under specific conditions. The rules apply federally, so they’re the same whether you’re in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or Hobart.
This article covers what the current scheduling means in practice, how it affects purchasing, and where the grey areas sit. None of this is legal advice. Talk to your pharmacist or GP for guidance specific to your situation.
Schedule 3 and Schedule 4 — what the categories mean
The TGA uses a scheduling system to classify medicines and controlled substances. Two schedules matter for CBD oil: Schedule 3 and Schedule 4.
Schedule 3 means “pharmacist-only medicine.” Since February 2021, CBD products that meet certain criteria can be sold by a pharmacist without a prescription. The criteria are strict. The product must contain no more than 150 mg of CBD per day as the maximum recommended dose, be packaged in a maximum 30-day supply, and be intended for use by adults aged 18 and over. The pharmacist assesses whether the product is appropriate for the individual before dispensing it. As of early 2026, no Schedule 3 CBD product has received TGA approval for sale in Australian pharmacies — meaning the pathway exists in law but no product has cleared the regulatory process to use it.
Schedule 4 means “prescription-only medicine.” Higher-dose CBD products, or those that don’t meet the Schedule 3 criteria, require a prescription from a doctor. This is the route most Australians currently use to access CBD oil legally. A GP can prescribe CBD through the Authorised Prescriber scheme or the Special Access Scheme (SAS-B). Both involve the doctor applying to the TGA for approval to prescribe an unapproved therapeutic good.
The distinction between the two schedules is about dose, packaging and how you access the product. Schedule 3 is lower dose, pharmacist-dispensed, no prescription. Schedule 4 is higher dose or different packaging, doctor-prescribed. The CBD itself isn’t different — the regulatory pathway is.
State-by-state rules — or lack of them
Federal law governs CBD scheduling in Australia. The TGA’s classification applies uniformly across all states and territories. You don’t need to check separate rules for New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland or anywhere else. The Schedule 3 and Schedule 4 framework is national.
State and territory governments can add their own restrictions on top of federal rules, but none have done so specifically for CBD oil in a way that changes the basic access pathways. A prescription valid under the TGA’s Special Access Scheme works in every Australian jurisdiction. A pharmacist in Melbourne follows the same Schedule 3 criteria as one in Darwin.
Where you might notice differences is at the pharmacy counter. Individual pharmacists decide whether to stock and dispense Schedule 3 products. Some pharmacies may choose not to carry CBD at all, even if a qualifying product eventually reaches the market. That’s a business decision, not a legal one.
Buying CBD oil online — the grey areas
Many Australians buy CBD oil from online retailers. Some of these are based overseas. The legal position here gets murky.
Under Australian law, importing CBD oil for personal use without a prescription is technically prohibited. The product is a scheduled substance, and bringing it into the country without proper authorisation risks seizure by the Australian Border Force. In practice, enforcement varies. Small quantities for personal use sometimes pass through customs unchecked, while other shipments get stopped and destroyed. There’s no guaranteed outcome.
Domestic online retailers selling CBD oil within Australia still need to comply with TGA regulations. A website offering CBD oil without requiring a prescription or pharmacist consultation is operating outside the current legal framework — regardless of how professional the site looks. The absence of enforcement action against a particular seller doesn’t make the sale legal.
Stillroot stocks EU Labs CBD oils and provides product information for Australian customers. Our CBD Oil 3000mg Broad Spectrum and CBD Oil 3000mg Full Spectrum both carry batch-specific third-party lab reports confirming their cannabinoid profiles. Every bottle lists its CBD concentration, carrier oil (MCT coconut oil) and batch number. If you have questions about how CBD products fit into the current regulatory framework, consult your pharmacist or GP before purchasing.
Hemp seed oil is a different product entirely
One common mix-up deserves its own section. Hemp seed oil is not CBD oil. It’s a food product made by cold-pressing hemp seeds. It contains no cannabinoids — no CBD, no THC, nothing that falls under TGA scheduling. You can buy it at Woolworths or Coles without a prescription, a pharmacist, or any regulatory hurdle at all.
CBD oil is extracted from the flowers, leaves and stalks of the hemp plant using processes like supercritical CO₂ extraction. It contains measured concentrations of cannabidiol and, depending on whether it’s full spectrum or broad spectrum, varying amounts of other cannabinoids and terpenes. This is the product the TGA regulates. If a label lists a milligram CBD figure, it’s CBD oil, not hemp seed oil.
The distinction matters because some retailers label products ambiguously. A bottle marked “hemp oil” with a cannabis leaf graphic might contain CBD, or it might be food-grade hemp seed oil worth a few dollars. Check the label for a cannabinoid concentration. No milligrams listed? No cannabinoids inside. Our FAQ page covers this difference in more detail.
Where things stand and what to do next
CBD oil is legal in Australia under a regulated framework. Schedule 3 allows pharmacist-dispensed, low-dose products for adults — though no approved product has reached pharmacy shelves yet. Schedule 4 covers prescription CBD through the Authorised Prescriber or Special Access Scheme pathways. Federal rules apply identically across every state and territory.
The regulatory picture continues to shift. The TGA reviews scheduling decisions periodically, and the eventual arrival of an approved Schedule 3 product would change the practical access situation significantly. For now, the prescription pathway remains the most straightforward legal route for most Australians.
Before purchasing any CBD product, talk to your pharmacist or GP. They can explain which pathway applies to you, what documentation you need, and what to expect. Browse our full range of EU Labs CBD oils for product details, concentrations and lab reports.
These products have not been evaluated by the TGA. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. You must be 18+ to purchase. Please consult a healthcare professional before use.