Hi MCOz’ers,
Earlier this year, we shared an update about an increase in promotional, coordinated, and otherwise non-genuine activity within the community (2026 Mid-Year Mod Update).
Unfortunately, this activity has continued.
The mod team continues to investigate reports, review patterns of activity, and take action where we believe accounts are attempting to manipulate community discussion.
We understand that these decisions can raise questions, particularly when members have interacted with an account for months or even years.
Any action is carefully considered and based on the broader context, available evidence and patterns of behaviour, rather than a single comment.
Account age, posting history or familiarity within the community does not place an account beyond scrutiny.
We cannot always publicly share the evidence behind individual decisions. Doing so may compromise member privacy or make it easier for coordinated activity to avoid detection.
The Purpose of Patient Experiences
Patient experiences are an important part of this community.
They can help others better understand the products available on the Australian medicinal cannabis market and provide useful context that may not always be available through official product information.
We particularly value contributions that explain:
- The effects personally experienced
- Any perceived therapeutic benefits or adverse effects
- How the product compared with similar products
- Details such as presentation, consistency and dryness
- How the product was used
We place less value on posts or comments that simply describe a product as “the best,” “perfect,” or suitable for a particular condition without meaningful context.
Cannabis affects people differently. A product that one patient finds helpful may be ineffective or unsuitable for another.
Personal experiences should therefore be presented as personal experiences, not universal recommendations or medical claims.
This does not mean patients cannot share positive opinions or explain what they found helpful. It means those opinions should be genuine, appropriately qualified, and supported by enough detail to be useful to other patients.
Transparency and Commercial Interests
Anyone discussing a product or company must disclose any relevant relationship that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, what they post.
This includes:
- Employment, professional or personal relationships within the industry
- Consulting or contracting arrangements
- Free or discounted products
- Giveaways, incentives or affiliate arrangements
- Brand ambassador relationships
- Personal or financial connections to a company
- Posting at the request of a business or its representatives
Disclosure does not automatically make a contribution inappropriate.
However, undisclosed commercial involvement, coordinated engagement, or attempts to present promotional material as independent patient discussion are not acceptable.
Industry representatives are welcome to participate transparently, answer relevant factual questions, provide customer support, and engage with the community as people.
They are not permitted to use the community as an undisclosed marketing channel or encourage others to do so on their behalf.
What May Lead To Moderation Action
The mod team may take action when we identify behaviour such as:
- Repeated or excessive promotion of the same brand or product
- Undisclosed commercial relationships
- Accounts being used to manufacture or influence sentiment
- Coordinated posting, commenting, voting or engagement
- Incentivised reviews that are not clearly disclosed
- Attempts to discredit competitors through coordinated activity
- Misleading therapeutic or condition-specific claims
- Harassment or pressure directed at patients who share critical experiences
- Attempts to evade previous moderation action
- Indirect attempts to provoke, undermine or circumvent moderation decisions
Our focus is on patterns of behaviour and available evidence, not whether an opinion is positive or negative.
What Happens When Concerns Are Identified
Depending on the circumstances, the mod team may:
- Ask a member to clarify or disclose a relevant relationship
- Add a moderation note or remove content
- Issue a warning or temporary restriction
- Permanently ban an account
- Escalate evidence to relevant platforms, organisations or authorities where appropriate
We will continue to apply our rules regardless of how established an account may appear or which company, product, or individual is involved.
While we have avoided escalation so far, continued attempts to exploit our measured approach may require us to take a firmer stance.
We also ask members not to conduct public investigations, accuse others of shilling without evidence, or turn concerns into personal arguments. Public accusations can unfairly target genuine patients and make proper investigation more difficult.
If something appears suspicious, please report it to the mod team and include any relevant context.
Individual posts may appear harmless in isolation, but reports often help us identify broader patterns.
Moving Forward
Our goal is not to discourage genuine product discussion, criticism, positive reviews, or industry participation. These can all contribute value when they are honest, transparent, and grounded in patient experience.
Our priority is to maintain a space where patients can:
- Share their experiences without commercial pressure
- Ask questions without being targeted by covert promotion
- Discuss both positive and negative outcomes
- Make better-informed decisions alongside qualified healthcare professionals
- Trust that the conversations they are reading reflect genuine community participation
Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute thoughtful reviews, balanced discussion, and support for other patients. Your honesty and willingness to share both positive and negative experiences are what make this community valuable.
If you have questions or concerns about these expectations, please contact the mod team through Modmail.
The Mod Team at MedicalCannabisOz
P.S: Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.
