Australia Post has quietly introduced a new declaration that some customers must make before sending a parcel.
Businesses wanting to electronically send products around the country must now check either yes or no to the following question:
“Does this parcel contain medicinal cannabis or schedule 8 (S8) medication?”
The question is understood to have caught many retail assistants by surprise while they were completing customer orders. At least one confessed to becoming paranoid about why they were being grilled about cannabis.
But there’s a perfectly rational and rather technical explanation.
Australia Post reveals reason behind cannabis question
Medicinal cannabis is a growing industry in Australia, with the drug prescribed to treat multiple conditions, including pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
It’s one of dozens of schedule 8 medications, which are deemed to be drugs of addiction, dependence, or are controlled.
Others on the list include morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and the ADHD medication lisdexamfetamine, a stimulant commonly marketed as Vyvanse.
While there are avenues to send these drugs through the post, extra controls are required.
