Montu is Australia's largest medical cannabis company — a health-technology platform that imports and distributes prescription medical cannabis products and owns the Alternaleaf telehealth clinic. It is not an over-the-counter shop you browse and buy from without a consultation. If you are in Byron Bay, NSW, or anywhere in the Northern Rivers and you want hemp-derived CBD oil ordered online, no prescription needed — that is a different, separately regulated route. That is what FraLa CBD does, shipping to Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Lismore, Ballina and across NSW and Australia-wide.
This review is independent and informational. FraLa CBD is a Byron Bay over-the-counter CBD oil label — it is not Montu, is not affiliated with it, and operates no clinic, prescription service or medical cannabis business. Montu's own businesses are described on its official site.
What Montu actually is — platform, not shop
Montu is a Melbourne-based health-technology company, founded in 2019, that has grown into Australia's largest medical cannabis business by revenue — $263 million in 2024. That growth reflects a business-to-business infrastructure model: Montu does not sell products directly to patients browsing a website. It imports and distributes prescription medical cannabis products to pharmacies, and it owns a connected group of businesses that each handle a different stage of the journey from prescriber to patient.
The four subsidiaries are the architecture worth understanding:
- Alternaleaf — the patient-facing telehealth clinic, where a prospective patient consults an AHPRA-registered doctor and, if assessed as appropriate, receives a prescription
- Leafio — the wholesale pharmacy distribution arm; supplies licensed pharmacies across Australia with prescription medical cannabis products on a 24-hour fulfilment basis
- uMeds — the dispensing-as-a-service arm; manages patient-facing delivery of prescribed products nationally
- Saged — an accredited online education platform for healthcare practitioners
Together these four subsidiaries span the arc from importer to prescribing clinic to dispensing network to professional training. It is a vertically integrated supply platform — not a shop.
Montu and Alternaleaf — what is the difference?
This is one of the most common points of confusion in this space.
Alternaleaf is the patient-facing telehealth clinic — the front door most people encounter first. It is where someone books a consultation, sees a registered doctor, and potentially receives a prescription. The Alternaleaf review on this site covers the clinic in detail.
Montu is the parent company that owns Alternaleaf along with Leafio, uMeds, Saged, and a portfolio of medical cannabis product brands. It is the platform holding entity; Alternaleaf is one visible arm. When someone says "I'm going through Montu," they typically mean they are engaging with Alternaleaf. A patient in Byron Bay would consult via Alternaleaf; their prescribed products would then move through the Montu dispensing infrastructure.
How the consultation model works — and what it costs
Because Montu's ecosystem is a prescription pathway, the starting point is always a clinical consultation, not a product page. The typical steps:
- Online intake — prospective patient completes a form through the Alternaleaf platform
- Nurse consultation — a complimentary initial consultation (~20 minutes); determines whether a doctor assessment is the right next step
- Doctor assessment — an AHPRA-registered, TGA-authorised prescribing doctor makes a clinical assessment; this consultation is charged separately
- Prescription (if appropriate) — if the assessment concludes a script is clinically warranted, one is issued
- Dispensing — prescribed products are delivered through the Montu network (uMeds/Leafio), operating nationally
The initial nurse consultation is complimentary; the doctor assessment stage carries a separate charge. It is a medically supervised, clinician-led process from end to end — not a shopping cart experience.
For how medical cannabis access works more broadly across Australia — the TGA's Special Access Scheme, Authorised Prescriber routes, and what to expect — see the guide to how medical cannabis access works in Australia.
From our CBD oil range
CBD Oil 12000mg – Full Spectrum
The whole-hemp profile — CBD alongside the smaller cannabinoids and terpenes from the same extraction. Trace THC stays under 0.3%. 12000mg in 50ml of MCT oil (240mg per ml).
CBN Oil 6000mg – Cannabinol
Cannabinol — the cannabinoid that forms as raw hemp ages. 6000mg of CBN isolate in 50ml of MCT oil (120mg per ml). A common choice for evening routines among people already familiar with CBD.
CBD Oil 3000mg – Broad Spectrum
Broad-spectrum CBD — all the supporting cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp plant, with THC removed. 3000mg in a 50ml MCT bottle (60mg per ml).
Prescription medical cannabis and over-the-counter CBD oil — two separate routes
The vocabulary in this space is easy to muddle. "CBD oil" and "medical cannabis" are used loosely in a lot of online content, as though they refer to the same thing. They do not — and being clear on the distinction matters.
Prescription medical cannabis — supplied through Montu's ecosystem — is a doctor-assessed, clinician-led process. A doctor issues a prescription for a product that may include THC at concentrations above the hemp threshold, dispensed under that script with ongoing medical oversight.
Over-the-counter CBD oil is a different regulatory category. In 2021, the Therapeutic Goods Administration down-scheduled low-dose cannabidiol (up to 150 mg per day) to a Schedule 3 (Pharmacist Only) medicine. Beyond pharmacies, hemp-derived CBD oil is also sold online as a composition-described product — characterised by its spectrum, milligrams of cannabidiol, carrier oil and THC content — that can be purchased without a consultation or script. The current framework is documented on the TGA website.
Neither route is a substitute for the other. If you want a clinical assessment and potential access to prescription products, the Montu / Alternaleaf pathway is the relevant route. If you want hemp-derived CBD oil described by composition, purchased directly, no clinic — that is the OTC route. The full legal picture is in the CBD oil laws guide.
Over-the-counter CBD oil from Byron Bay — FraLa CBD
Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers have a long, quiet history with hemp — one of the earliest regions in Australia to take the plant seriously, long before the national conversation caught up. FraLa CBD is rooted in that context: an over-the-counter CBD oil label based in Byron Bay, NSW, shipping to the region and across Australia, with no clinic, no consultation, and no prescription required.
Every oil in the range is described by what it contains — composition, spectrum, milligrams, carrier — not by what it might do. The five families:
- Full-spectrum CBD oil — whole-plant hemp extract, retaining a legal trace of THC (under 0.3%), confirmed by batch COA
- Broad-spectrum CBD oil — same whole-plant base with THC removed to 0% THC; all other hemp compounds retained
- CBG oil — cannabigerol as the primary compound, a single-cannabinoid oil
- CBN oil — cannabinol isolate, THC-free
- Pet CBD oil — formulated for animals, described by composition
All five are sourced from EU Labs in Amsterdam, carried in coconut-derived MCT oil, bottled at 50ml, third-party lab-tested by batch, with a Certificate of Analysis available on request. Prices start from $89.95 AUD. Orders ship tracked to Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Lismore, Ballina, and everywhere else in NSW and across Australia — including CBD oil delivered to Sydney and beyond. Browse the full range at FraLa CBD.
Common questions about Montu and CBD oil in Byron Bay
Is Montu a shop you can buy from directly? No. Montu is a health-technology company and supply-chain platform — importer, distributor, owner of Alternaleaf, Leafio, uMeds and Saged. It is not a public-facing over-the-counter shop. Patient access runs through the Alternaleaf clinic, via a consultation and prescription.
What is the difference between Montu and Alternaleaf? Alternaleaf is the telehealth clinic owned by Montu. Montu is the parent company that owns Alternaleaf as one of four business units — along with the Leafio pharmacy distribution arm, the uMeds dispensing arm, and the Saged education platform. See the Alternaleaf review for detail on the clinic side.
How does an Alternaleaf consultation work and what does it cost? The process: online intake → complimentary nurse consultation (~20 minutes) → doctor assessment (charged separately) → prescription if appropriate → dispensing through the Montu network. The initial nurse consultation is complimentary; the doctor assessment stage carries a separate charge.
Do I need a prescription to buy CBD oil in Byron Bay / NSW? Not for hemp-derived CBD oil from an over-the-counter shop such as FraLa CBD. The prescription medical cannabis route — through a clinic like Alternaleaf — is a separate, medically supervised pathway for a different category of product.
What does FraLa CBD sell and how is it different from Montu? FraLa CBD is a Byron Bay over-the-counter CBD oil shop. The range — full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, CBG (cannabigerol), CBN (cannabinol) and pet CBD oils — is described by composition and sold without consultation or prescription, priced from $89.95 AUD, shipped tracked to Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Lismore, Ballina, and across NSW and Australia. See the full range.
Is CBD oil legal to buy online in Byron Bay / NSW? Yes, within the national framework set by the TGA. Low-dose cannabidiol is a Schedule 3 (Pharmacist Only) medicine under the 2021 rescheduling, and hemp-derived CBD oil is sold online as a composition-described product under a separate regulatory category. The rules are covered in the CBD oil laws guide and on the TGA website.
Where can I buy over-the-counter CBD oil delivered to Byron Bay? Online, from an Australian shop such as FraLa CBD — the full range and prices are there, shipping tracked to Byron Bay and across NSW and Australia.
If you are looking for a prescriber and a medical assessment, Montu's Alternaleaf clinic is the starting point — their ecosystem is described on montu.com.au. If you want to buy over-the-counter CBD oil from a Byron Bay, NSW label — described by composition, lab-tested, priced in AUD, and shipped across the Northern Rivers and beyond — browse the full CBD oil range at FraLa CBD.
