Doctor and pharmacy groups have suggested banning medicinal cannabis companies from simultaneously owning clinics and dispensaries, saying doctors’ independence is at stake.

AMA Queensland and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s state branch have already called on the TGA to remove medicinal cannabis from the Special Access Scheme.

Now, they have jointly written to federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler and Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls with eight more suggestions to control the lucrative cannabis prescribing industry.

These suggestions include banning vertical integration — when a business owns multiple parts of the supply chain, like manufacturing, prescribing and dispensing — “and other aspects of medicinal cannabis business models that risk patient safety and clinical independence”.