ABC News Australia
The father of a man who took his own life after being prescribed medicinal cannabis says his dead son was repeatedly sent more cannabis, despite the family notifying the telehealth platform of his death.
The pharmacist, Adam Younes, who founded the company, Dispensed, has been banned from supplying cannabis and two doctors have been suspended as authorities launch an investigation into the man’s death, and alleged inappropriate prescribing to another patient, the ABC can reveal.
The men’s families said they were gravely concerned a complete failure of regulation had allowed their loved ones access to medicinal cannabis, despite both men having a history of hallucinations or psychosis.
The New South Wales coroner is preparing a report into the death of a 41-year-old man, who had a mental health condition, and was prescribed medicinal cannabis by two doctors at Dispensed before he took his own life.
The father of the man, who is grappling with the loss, said his highly intelligent son had three university degrees, but had struggled with auditory hallucinations and was prescribed antipsychotic medication at the time of his death.
He believes that given his son’s history, he never should have been sold medicinal cannabis, and said his son’s regular GP and psychiatrist did not know about the cannabis prescription.
“Our real concern is that a doctor can talk to someone over the phone, not do any checks and balances and prescribe medicinal cannabis,” he told the ABC.
The man said his wife contacted Dispensed to tell them their son, who lived with them, had taken his own life in February.
But the company, which operates a subscription service, sent two more packages of medicinal cannabis addressed to their dead son after that.
An ABC investigation has found another Dispensed patient was repeatedly sold medicinal cannabis despite his desperate mother pleading with the company that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was at risk of psychosis.
After taking the cannabis, the 31-year-old man’s mental health rapidly deteriorated.
He was taken to hospital by police and ambulance in an acute psychosis, and held on an involuntary treatment order for weeks.
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Perplexity tells us
. However, recent developments have significantly impacted his role and the company:
Current Ownership Status
Adam Younes is no longer the director of Dispensed Pty Ltd. He resigned from this position earlier in October 2024
. While he founded the company in 2021, his current ownership status is unclear due to recent regulatory actions.
Regulatory Actions
Several significant regulatory actions have affected Adam Younes and Dispensed:
- Ban on Cannabis Dispensing: In August 2024, Adam Younes was prohibited from supplying, administering, handling, or dispensing medicinal cannabis
- Resignation: Younes resigned as Dispensed Pty Ltd’s director in early October 2024
- AHPRA Intervention: The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) imposed conditions on Younes’s pharmacist license, citing “a serious risk to the public, or strong public interest”
- Doctor Suspensions: Two doctors working for Dispensed had their ability to practice completely suspended by the Medical Board of Australia in August 2024
Ongoing Investigations
The company is still operating, but investigations are underway by various authorities:
- The New South Wales coroner is preparing a report into the death of a patient prescribed medicinal cannabis by Dispensed doctors
- Concerns have been raised about inappropriate prescribing practices and regulatory failures
While Adam Younes founded Dispensed, the recent regulatory actions and his resignation as director suggest significant changes in the company’s ownership and management structure. The full extent of these changes and the current ownership details are not explicitly stated in the available information.
