2026 marks ten years since medicinal cannabis was legalised in Australia. To reflect on how far the industry has come, and where it’s headed next, we’re speaking with the people helping shape it. From early advocates, to scientific leaders working behind the scenes, this series captures the journeys, lessons, and hopes defining the first, and the next, decade of medicinal cannabis.
About Justin Sinclair
Justin Sinclair is a researcher and pharmacognosist, and currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer within the Australian medicinal cannabis industry. He has been working with medicinal cannabis in Australia since its earliest regulatory reforms. Trained in pharmacognosy, he has spent more than twenty-five years studying medicinal plants and fungi, with a focus on how plant-based medicines can be used safely and responsibly in patient care.
Justin was appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of United in Compassion in 2015, contributing to the advocacy work that played a pivotal role in changing Australia’s medicinal cannabis laws. He has since played an ongoing role in shaping scientific standards and professional education across the sector, including advisory work with Cannabis Clinicians Australia (CCA) and board involvement with the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Association (ACMA).
He is currently completing doctoral research at the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University, investigating medicinal cannabis for endometriosis. Alongside his research, Justin has published widely and has been deeply involved in medicinal cannabis education, delivering over 150 lectures to healthcare professionals, industry leaders, and patient communities across Australia and New Zealand.
The Australian medicinal cannabis community is ten years young. How did you first find your way into this space?
I met Dan and Lucy Haslam at the first United in Compassion (UIC) Australian Medicinal Cannabis Symposium in Tamworth in 2014. I was deeply inspired by what they wanted to achieve, and given my background in pharmacognosy, I volunteered to the cause. I was welcomed with open arms, and joined the scientific advisory board of UIC in January 2015.
This commenced a rather arduous and curious adventure down the rabbit hole of advocacy, education, and lobbying Federal and State politicians that eventually led to Dan’s Law being passed, and the associated regulatory frameworks we find ourselves with today. I consider it a great privilege to have worked alongside such a passionate and determined group of people in those early days, and every day since.
What is the most meaningful lesson the cannabis plant has taught you?
Cannabis has taught me that medicine is not solely about chemistry or receptor targets, but must include the lived realities of people navigating imperfect systems and complex diseases. Whilst cannabis is not a panacea that can address everything, for some, it addresses what nothing else could… and that makes it a medicine worth fighting for.
What three words capture your hopes for cannabis in Australia over the next ten years?
Understanding, integration, and collaboration
To learn more about Justin’s ongoing work, you can follow him on LinkedIn.
The views, opinions, and statements expressed in this article are solely those of the individual contributor and do not represent, and should not be attributed to, Astrid. Astrid makes no claims. Contributors are not our patients – their experiences are shared with the sole intent to inform their inspiration behind driving change in the sector through their advocacy, research, or policy contributions.
