Mr Mackenzie is not alone in his ambitions. Several companies have opened cannabis clinics around Australia, with more in the pipeline. Releaf is just the latest venture for Mr Mackenzie – he’s also dabbled in blockchain, recycling, energy trading, bee breeding, and tsunami warning systems. He believes Australia’s medical cannabis industry is set for a boom similar to that in the US, where the market is worth billions of dollars. “The market is starting to mature. Public perception is starting to change because of the research and data that’s available now. The business model has already evolved in the US and Canada. We think the timing is right,” Mr Mackenzie says. Gary Mackenzie inside the Releaf Clinic. Credit:Justin McManus To capitalise on the US boom, Releaf has decided to brand its pharmacy a dispensary, which will open in April.

But it won’t carry a variety of strains of cannabis behind the counter for people to choose from, as do US dispensaries. Cannabis remains illegal for recreational use. Instead the clinic’s doctors will assess whether a person’s ills could be helped by medical cannabis. If so, they must apply to the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the state health department for approval to prescribe medicinal cannabis – typically as a refined oil that may or may not have psychoactive properties. There are no restrictions on the conditions a doctor can prescribe for, but a clinical justification must be provided to the TGA. Many patients have previously reported long, frustrating delays to get access to medical cannabis, but that now appears to be improving – the TGA ticked off 25,182 applications last year. The agency says it generally takes two days to decide on an application.

But the evidence for medicinal cannabis remains weak for the vast majority of conditions. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video This may be down to the difficulty of studying an illegal substance – or it may be cannabis is not an effective therapeutic. The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists says there is insufficient scientific evidence to justify prescribing medicinal cannabis to people with chronic pain. College spokesman Associate Professor Michael Vagg fears clinics like Releaf could encourage people to seek prescriptions for conditions where there is no evidence.

“If this was not cannabis, if it was any other type of pain medication, I think people would find this unacceptable,” he said. "We don’t market any prescription pharmaceuticals direct to consumers in Australia for very good reasons.” A small handful of competing cannabis clinics like Cannadoc and MediCannabis have set up across Melbourne – but they typically sit inside doctor’s surgeries. Releaf, which located just down the road from St Kilda’s Hemp Kitchen, is targeting foot traffic. Mr Mackenzie said it was important the dispensary opened before the St Kilda Festival attracts tens of thousands of people to the area on Sunday. He said is concerned many people will come to the clinic hoping for a high. But his doctors will be trained to make sure cannabis is a last-line treatment.