Travelling to New Zealand with medicinal cannabis

Bringing medicinal cannabis into New Zealand is legal under strict conditions, but it is not a simple “carry your prescription” process. If you are travelling to New Zealand with medicinal cannabis, follow the customs and health requirements exactly, or your medicine can be confiscated and you may face legal action.

Travelling to New Zealand with medicinal cannabis: The legal framework

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, cannabis remains a controlled drug. The Medicinal Cannabis Scheme, administered by the Ministry of Health’s Medicinal Cannabis Agency (MCA), does not legalise cannabis generally. It creates a narrow, regulated pathway: a medical practitioner can prescribe a manufactured medicinal cannabis preparation that meets Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements and has been approved by Medsafe. This is the only lawful route for patients.

The scheme began operating in April 2020, when the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations 2019 came into effect. A prescription from a New Zealand-registered medical practitioner is required. The item must be a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, and the prescription must be written for a specific patient. There is no general licence to possess or use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

The key distinction: legal medicinal cannabis in New Zealand means a manufactured pharmaceutical preparation that meets GMP requirements and is approved by the Ministry of Health. It does not mean a patient can legally smoke raw plant material bought from an unregulated source. Even the raw flower available through the scheme is a prescribed, pharmacy-dispensed pharmaceutical item, not a dispensary product. The legal route is always through a medical practitioner, and the item must be sourced through a licensed pharmacy or importer.

What counts as medicinal cannabis at the border

For the purposes of bringing medicinal cannabis into New Zealand, the legal definition comes from the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 and the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations 2019. A preparation is medicinal cannabis only if it is a pharmaceutical-grade item that meets GMP requirements and has been approved by the Ministry of Health under the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme. This is not the same as carrying raw plant material you bought overseas.

The Medicinal Cannabis Scheme (MCS) was established by the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Act 2018, which came into force in full on 1 April 2020. Under the scheme, the MCA, part of Medsafe, licences the manufacture, supply and possession of medicinal cannabis preparations. Items must meet GMP requirements and be approved by the Ministry of Health. The NZ Formulary lists preparations that meet the requirements.

The key legal distinction: carrying medicinal cannabis into New Zealand is only legal if the item meets the requirements of the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme and you have a valid prescription from a New Zealand-registered medical practitioner. A foreign prescription is not automatically valid. You cannot bring raw, unregulated plant material; even if it was prescribed overseas, it must meet New Zealand’s GMP and product requirements.

CBD and THC: what the law says

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, THC is a controlled drug. CBD was reclassified in 2020 and is no longer controlled, but it remains a prescription medicine. The practical difference:

CBD-only preparations (no more than 2% THC, or trace amounts below 0.3% in some items) are not controlled drugs. They still require a prescription from a medical practitioner. A pharmacist can dispense them without a controlled drug licence, but the prescription must be valid.
THC-containing preparations are controlled drugs. They require a prescription from a medical practitioner and must be dispensed by a pharmacy. You cannot legally possess them without a prescription, and you cannot import them for personal use without going through the formal pathway.

The Ministry of Health (Medsafe) administers the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. The scheme is set out in the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations 2019. Under the regulations, a medical practitioner can prescribe a CBD or THC preparation that meets GMP requirements and is approved by the Ministry of Health. The MCA manages licensing and product approvals.

Product forms and onset times

Preparations available in New Zealand are manufactured to GMP requirements. The two main categories are:

Oils: sublingual drops or oral solutions (onset 30-90 minutes, duration 6-8 hours)
Flower: dried plant material for vaporisation, not smoking (onset 5-10 minutes, duration 2-4 hours)

CBD and THC are the two main cannabinoids. CBD (cannabidiol) is non-psychoactive and often used for anxiety, inflammation, and seizure disorders. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is psychoactive and often used for pain, appetite, and sleep. Preparations are labelled with their CBD and THC content in mg/g or as a percentage; the ratio between the two determines the therapeutic profile.

How to obtain a prescription

The legal route is a prescription from a registered medical practitioner. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, medicinal cannabis preparations must be approved by the Minister of Health or meet GMP requirements. The Medicinal Cannabis Scheme, established under the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Act 2018, sets the rules. The scheme is administered by the MCA. Preparations must meet GMP requirements and be approved by the Ministry of Health. The scheme legalises access via prescription, not a general licence. In practice, most patients get a prescription from their GP, and the item is dispensed by a New Zealand pharmacy.

Preparations are classified by THC and CBD content. They range from high-THC flower (e.g., Tilray 25:25, ~25% THC) to high-CBD oils (e.g., CBD100) and balanced ratios (e.g., 10:10). The choice depends on the condition, the desired effect, and the patient’s tolerance. Flower is inhaled and acts in 5-10 minutes, lasting 2-4 hours; oils are taken orally, onset 30-90 minutes, duration 6-8 hours. There is no universal best choice; the right one is based on the condition, the patient’s response, and the clinician’s judgment.

The Medicinal Cannabis Scheme requires a prescription from a medical practitioner, but not all doctors are willing to prescribe. GPs can prescribe after assessing eligibility; many defer to specialists. The prescription is written on a standard controlled drug prescription form and must include the preparation name, strength, and dose. The item must be dispensed by a licensed pharmacist, not sold over the counter. There is no walk-in access; a patient cannot buy medicinal cannabis without a prescription.

Product categories and scheduling

Preparations must be GMP-certified and approved by the Ministry of Health. The first approvals were granted in 2020 under the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme. Items fall into two categories: those containing more than 2% CBD (considered a prescription medicine) and those containing 2% CBD or less (considered a controlled drug, but still prescribable). This distinction matters for scheduling, import/export, and pharmacy stocking rules.

The evidence base

The evidence for medicinal cannabis is mixed and condition-specific. High-quality evidence supports its use for chronic pain (moderate benefit), nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy (established), and spasticity in multiple sclerosis (established). For anxiety, PTSD, and depression, evidence is limited or mixed. For cancer as a disease-modifying treatment, there is no credible evidence; it is used only for symptom management. The NZ Formulary lists cannabis preparations under “cannabis for medicinal use” and notes that evidence is strongest for chronic pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea. The formulary explicitly says cannabis is not a first-line treatment and should be considered only after standard therapies have failed.

Systematic reviews (e.g., Whiting et al., 2015; Stockings et al., 2018; Black et al., 2019) show moderate-quality evidence for chronic pain and spasticity, but weak evidence for most other indications. A 2023 systematic review in the BMJ found moderate-quality evidence for chronic pain and spasticity. A 2024 meta-analysis in JAMA Network Open found significant reductions in chronic pain, but the authors noted small sample sizes. The International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM) publishes clinical guidance on dosing. The New Zealand Ministry of Health’s position is that evidence is still evolving and prescribers should follow the NZ Formulary.

Before you travel: a step-by-step checklist

Confirm your preparation is GMP-certified and Ministry of Health-approved. Check the NZ Formulary or ask your pharmacist. If your item is not on the approved list, do not attempt to bring it.
Obtain a prescription from a New Zealand-registered medical practitioner before you arrive. A foreign prescription alone is not sufficient. Arrange a telehealth consultation with a New Zealand GP or specialist who can assess your eligibility and issue a valid controlled drug prescription.
Carry the original prescription and a letter from the prescribing doctor. The letter should state the preparation name, strength, dose, and that it is for your personal medicinal use. Keep it with the medicine at all times.
Keep the medicine in its original, pharmacy-labelled packaging. Do not decant it into unmarked containers. The label must match the prescription and your travel documents.
Declare the medicine at the border. On your Passenger Arrival Card, tick “yes” to the question about controlled drugs or medicines. Present the medicine, prescription, and doctor’s letter to a Customs officer.
Carry no more than a 30-day supply for personal use. Larger quantities may attract scrutiny and require additional import permits.
Do not bring raw plant material, edibles, or vape cartridges from unlicensed overseas sources. These do not meet New Zealand’s GMP and product requirements and will be seized.

At the border: what to expect

When you arrive, go to the red channel or declare the medicine as instructed on your arrival card. A Customs officer will inspect your documents and the medicine. If everything matches, you will normally be allowed to proceed. If the item does not meet the scheme’s requirements, Customs can detain or seize it, and you may be referred to the police. Do not attempt to conceal medicinal cannabis; failure to declare a controlled drug is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 and can result in prosecution.

Driving and impairment warning

THC impairs driving. New Zealand police conduct roadside impairment tests, and it is an offence to drive while impaired by any drug, including prescribed medicinal cannabis. If your preparation contains THC, do not drive for at least six hours after inhaling flower and at least eight hours after taking an oral oil. These are minimums; individual responses vary. If you are unsure, do not drive.