What Reddit Really Says About Australia’s Medical Cannabis Clinics
Australian medical cannabis patients turn to Reddit’s r/MedicalCannabisAus and r/MedicalCannabisOz for unfiltered feedback about clinics, doctors, and products. These forums provide raw, uncensored patient experiences that reveal both standout services and operational failures across the industry.
Dispensed: The No-Fee Model That Works
Reddit’s Verdict: Positive with Clear Value Proposition
Dispensed generates consistent praise on Reddit for eliminating consultation fees while delivering quality products and fast service.
What patients appreciate:
A detailed r/MedicalCannabisAus review captures the core Dispensed experience. One patient reported receiving approval within 24 hours with five repeats, noting the product arrived within two business days of payment. The same reviewer praised the lack of doctor fees and overall process quality.
Product feedback:
Patients mention Dispensed’s proprietary strains. The DAYLIGHT Sativa receives praise for its fresh aroma with earthy, pine, and citrus notes, with reported benefits for concentration and anxiety. The MOONRISE Indica at $150 per 10g tub gets positive marks for quality, with patients noting piney, fruity, cocoa, and caramel aromas along with calming and sedating effects.
One reviewer’s assessment emphasized the value proposition for patients seeking quality flowers without doctor fees, calling them a “fantastic option.”
The trade-off:
Multiple Reddit users note the limited product selection. Dispensed only offers their own proprietary products, eliminating choice but simplifying the decision-making process. One commenter explained they can’t choose specific products but Dispensed offers a full range of oils, cartridges, flowers, and similar items.
The subscription model also raises eyebrows. Patients discover after ordering that Dispensed automatically places monthly prescription orders, though users confirm this can be adjusted before renewal dates through customer support contact.
Communication issues:
One r/MedicalCannabisAus user described initial confusion. Communication wasn’t optimal while awaiting eligibility confirmation from the prescribing doctor. After speaking directly with the prescribing doctor, they received approval for CBD and flower.
International expansion:
Dispensed’s model extends beyond Australia. A UK patient on r/ukmedicalcannabis described trying Dispensed after poor experiences with other clinics, noting free sign-up followed by £19 for initial consultation and product pricing from £4-£11.
Candor: The Clinic That Fell Apart
Reddit’s Verdict: Formerly Great, Now Avoid
Candor dominates recent Reddit complaints, with patients describing operational collapse following corporate changes.
The timeline of decline:
A recent r/MedicalCannabisOz thread captures widespread frustration. One poster explained joining Candor when it functioned well, but noted service quality declined approximately 2-3 months prior to the post.
What went wrong:
A detailed Reddit comment explains the structural issues: Candor bought and absorbed patients from another clinic (CDA), and then another company bought Candor. Many nurses and doctors left and were hired by other clinics. Throughout this transition, they continued allowing new patients to start the initial process.
Wait time concerns:
Patients report waiting 4-6 weeks for consultations after paying fees upfront. One user mentioned paying for a follow-up to get new scripts over two weeks ago and repeatedly receiving generic emails about hiring more staff to handle intake.
Another patient described hearing nothing about a paid consultation for six weeks before requesting a discharge letter and scheduling an appointment elsewhere.
The payment timing issue:
Multiple Redditors highlight Candor’s practice of charging consultation fees before scheduling appointments. One r/MedicalCannabisAus thread calls this approach problematic, noting they should only charge when they have an appointment scheduled.
Where patients are going:
Reddit threads about leaving Candor consistently mention Horizon, Medreleaf, Sirius Green, and Mediflora as alternatives. One user notes following their doctor from Candor to Mediflora.
Medreleaf: Doctor Exodus and TGA Scrutiny
Reddit’s Verdict: Troubled by Staff Departures and Regulatory Issues
Medreleaf appears frequently in Reddit discussions about clinic instability and changing prescribing practices.
Doctor availability concerns:
A recent r/MedicalCannabisOz thread revealed multiple doctors leaving Medreleaf. Patients describe a rotating door of doctors, with one user explaining they had worked with two different doctors who have since departed.
Dr. Marguerite Clark experience:
A Reddit thread from one year ago describes an unusual consultation with Dr. Clark. The patient reports she emphasized dietary recommendations and suggested looking into “the medical medium.” The patient’s red flags activated immediately.
The patient discovered “the medical medium” involves a person who claims to communicate with “the spirit of compassion” and sells supplements.
When the patient declined this approach, Dr. Clark indicated she wasn’t the right doctor if they weren’t interested in her advice and wouldn’t prescribe medical cannabis.
Reddit comments universally advise avoiding Dr. Clark.
Regulatory environment:
Multiple Reddit threads discuss doctor departures from Medreleaf related to AHPRA registration concerns. Users discovered conditions placed on licenses related to medical cannabis prescribing.
One commenter notes a particular doctor isn’t even listed anymore and actually retired due to these issues, calling it a loss of a good practitioner.
The TGA factor:
A detailed Reddit comment explains TGA guidance forces lowest-risk approaches or prescribers risk practicing against guidance, which reduces monthly limits to a maximum of 60g unless the patient has supporting documentation from a specialist.
This regulatory pressure contributes to doctor departures and prescription reductions across multiple clinics, not just Medreleaf.
Patient concerns:
Recent threads describe long wait times similar to Candor. One patient reports receiving an email from Medreleaf apologizing for delays, stating the average wait time is four weeks after consultation.
Another describes being rejected on the day of appointment after being told they were missing the GP health summary. When calling back, Medreleaf said the doctor doesn’t want them as a client anymore, citing it’s out of his scope.
Reddit’s Alternative Recommendations
When patients ask where to go after Candor or Medreleaf experiences, these clinics receive consistent mentions:
Horizon Health: Frequently recommended for affordable consultations ($29 initial, $15 follow-ups) and brand-agnostic prescribing. One user reports receiving everything requested on their first appointment, including six products across vapes, oil, and flower.
Sirius Green: Praised for nurse practitioner appointments with Medicare rebates and comprehensive product access. Redditors describe it as having no rushed consultations, no restricted product list, and no rudeness.
Mediflora: Where several former Candor doctors relocated. Patients following their doctors report positive experiences.
Acacia, MedReleaf (when functioning well): Listed as worth considering for brand-agnostic prescribing and reasonable appointment costs.
What Reddit Reveals About the Industry
Common complaint patterns:
- Wait times: Nearly every clinic faces criticism for appointment scheduling delays
- Prescription limits: The reduction to 60g/month creates friction across providers
- Doctor consistency: Patients value seeing the same doctor repeatedly
- Cost transparency: Upfront fees before appointments generate complaints
- Communication: Slow responses to patient messages appear universal
The TGA factor:
Reddit users increasingly discuss TGA and AHPRA enforcement affecting prescribing practices. One commenter explains they’re clamping down on suspicious behavior by doctors over-prescribing and not making sure patients are correctly diagnosed.
This regulatory environment creates tension between patient expectations (established under looser oversight) and evolving compliance requirements.
The “first-line treatment” barrier:
Multiple Reddit threads discuss clinic rejections for patients who haven’t tried other treatments first. One Candor rejection led to this exchange:
User: Applied with Candor but got rejected because they haven’t tried other treatments before cannabis.
Response: That’s a prerequisite of the TGA, not just a Candor thing.
Another commenter advises saying the right things: Physical pain, anxiety, and insomnia. No addictive tendencies. Tried cannabis and it helped. Definitely say you’ve tried lots of medicines but they give you a bad reaction.
Analysis
Dispensed stands out for eliminating consultation fees and delivering consistent service, though product selection remains limited to proprietary strains. Reddit sentiment: Generally positive for budget-conscious patients who don’t need extensive product choice.
Candor transformed from frequently recommended clinic to a cautionary tale within months. Corporate acquisition, staff exodus, and operational failures destroyed patient trust. Reddit sentiment: Avoid until substantial operational improvements occur.
Medreleaf struggles with doctor retention, regulatory scrutiny, and inconsistent patient experiences. Some doctors receive praise while others generate complaints about unprofessional conduct. Reddit sentiment: Proceed with caution and research your specific doctor.
Reddit’s value lies in these unfiltered experiences revealing operational realities that clinic marketing never mentions. Patients share appointment wait times, doctor personalities, prescription limit changes, and regulatory pressures that shape the Australian medical cannabis landscape in 2025.
For patients researching clinics, Reddit provides the missing context about how companies actually operate beyond their websites’ promises.
Analysis based on public Reddit discussions from r/MedicalCannabisAus and r/MedicalCannabisOz.
