Health Minister Greg Hunt says the decision to legalise exports of medicinal cannabis products will ensure an ongoing supply for patients in Australia.
He says the export licence conditions will require manufacturers to make products available to Australian patients first.
The use of medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2016 to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chronic non-cancer pain and palliative care.
Mr Hunt has told the ABC the federal government has ambitions to be the number one global supplier of medicinal cannabis.