Australia’s medicinal cannabis market expanded at an extraordinary pace, with imports increasing almost tenfold in just three years.

The country even surpassed Germany — Europe’s largest market — driven largely by telehealth prescriptions and rising patient demand. But rapid growth brought scrutiny, as regulators moved toward tighter controls on what some described as a loosely managed system.

With reforms under consultation, the changes were expected to affect hundreds of businesses and patients, both locally and internationally.