New Zealand: Market and legal data analysis of the cannabis sector

11th July 2024: New Zealand: The dried cannabis flower products Rua Puāwai THC26 and Rua Puāwai THC18 White Widow for use with a vaporiser have been verified by the Medicinal Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.
8th July 2024: New Zealand: Last week, the Cabinet approved the Misuse of Drugs (Medical Cannabis) Amendment Regulations 2024. Among the changes, exports of cannabis-based ingredients (including CBD products as ingredients or finished products) and medical cannabis products destined for overseas markets, manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice and accepted by the importing country will not need to be tested against the minimum quality standards. The amendments came into force on 5th July 2024.
11th June 2024: New Zealand: The dried cannabis flower product “KIKUYA Cove THC 190 mg/g and CBD ≤10 mg/g” for use via a vaporiser has been verified by the Medical Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.
12th April 2024: New Zealand: ANTG Luna Oil THC 10 CBD 10 oral liquid has been verified by the Medical Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.
5th April 2024: New Zealand: ANTG Rocky Oil THC 30 oral liquid and Tilray Whole Flower Dried Cannabis THC 25 (for inhalation via a vaporiser) have been verified by the Medical Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.
3rd November 2023: New Zealand: Final election results released today (3rd November) show the centre-right National Party with a majority of seats (48 out of 122). National Party leader Christopher Luxon said during a press conference that his party was in talks with the right-wing ACT Party and New Zealand First to form a government. During his campaign, Luxon said that he was “comfortable with the current settings” when commenting on cannabis and rejected a bipartisan approach to decriminalisation.
2nd November 2023: New Zealand: Eqalis CBD30, Eqalis CBD120, Symetis T17 B52, Symetis T17 Gorilla and Cumulus T17 have been verified by the Medicinal Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.
17th October 2023: New Zealand: The Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) has reclassified CBD from a prescription-only medicine to a restricted (pharmacist-only) medicine. This will allow registered pharmacists to supply patients with approved low-dose CBD medicines without prescription. Currently, there are no low-dose CBD-containing medicines approved under the country’s laws.
2nd October 2023: New Zealand: In a debate between the two parties with the best chances of winning the elections – taking place on 14th October 2023 – centre-left Labour's Chris Hipkins said he wouldn't "rule out further changes in the future" to cannabis decriminalisation, but said he would like issues of drugs to be approached on a “bipartisan basis”. Centre-right National's representative Christopher Luxon rejected a bipartisan approach to decriminalisation, saying he was "happy with the current settings".
22nd August 2023: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health is seeking feedback on some proposed changes to the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations 2019, which prescribes the minimum quality standard for cannabis-based ingredients and medicinal cannabis products. Comments on the proposal can be made to medicinalcannabis@health.govt.nz until 8th September.
31st July 2023: New Zealand: The Ministry of Health has announced key changes to the medical cannabis regulations. The changes include expanding the medical cannabis category to include a wider range of plant forms and changing the quality requirements for exports. The authority will open a public consultation and later draft the amendment regulations. The regulations are expected to take effect by the end of 2023.
10th May 2023: New Zealand: Tilray FS THC 5: CBD 20, a cannabis oral solution, has been verified by the Medicinal Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.

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