New Hemp Regulations in Aotearoa New Zealand
Effective May 28th, 2026
Significant changes are coming to Hemp Regulations in New Zealand. The new framework dramatically simplifies the process for cultivation, possession, and manufacturing of Hemp and Hemp products.
Note: Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L) is still an illicit plant/substance controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Who this is for: Primarily aimed at home-growers and enthusiasts seeking to understand the new rules.
Compliance: While home/enthusiast growing is permitted under this framework, other legislation still applies to certain activities. This law change is not a blanket "break the rules and you'll be fine" exemption.
Use cases: Hemp use remains restricted to fibre, seed, and oil. Flower isn't specifically legal from a grow-your-own to sell as flower perspective, but the flower in and of itself isn't specifically illegal. There are additional permissions for supplying into the Medicinal Cannabis scheme, however for the most part, you can still posess the flower to get it tested etc especially for ascertaining a lab-test result of <1% THC.
Official Resources
For the most up-to-date and official information, please refer to the following ManatΕ« Hauora and government links:
- ManatΕ« Hauora Official Hemp Information
- Secondary Legislation: Order 85
- Official Gazette Notice (2026-sl2015)
- Secondary Legislation: Order 87
- Regulatory Impact Statement: Review the Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006
What's Now Legal?
- Industrial Hemp is gone. The old framework (and the limitations it imposed) have been completely removed.
- Hemp licensing is gone, as are all the previous tracking/chain-of-custody requirements.
- Hemp is now classified as any Cannabis Sativa L with a THC content of <1% of the plant when dried.
- This definition also applies to seeds and fruits from the plant (the flowers too).
- ANYBODY can grow it, anywhere, provided they notify the NZ Police and MPI on an annual basis before starting.
- Even people with prior convictions can legally cultivate / possess hemp.
- Breeding Hemp varieties of plants with THC <1% is also permitted with this legislative change.
- Producing and manufacturing of Hemp Products is also fully permitted (though other legislation may also apply there, such as food safety standards etc).
What this means in-practice
- "Anyone authorized" means anybody who has notified the Police and MPI. It's strictly a notification process, not asking for permission. Think of it like a (mandatory) professional courtesy more than anything.
- Selling / sending seeds, clones, and plant matter in the mail is now fully legal within the country, provided the recipient is authorized to receive them.
- Importing carries additional requirements such as a Phytosanitary Certificate that meets the requirements of IHS 155.02.05 Seeds for Sowing.
- Growing Hemp outdoors and indoors is permitted, provided that the strains do not exceed the legal THC limits. This is also a fantastic way for new entrants to cut their teeth on cultivation prior to committing to starting a licensed medicinal cannabis cultivation facility.
Legal Precedents Not Yet Set
While the new regulations offer tremendous freedom, please be aware that certain legal precedents have not yet been established:
| Delta-9 THC vs THCA | Legal precedents for Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol vs Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA) have not been set under this new legislation. |
| Delta-8 THC | Legal precedents for Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol have not been set. |
| Vegetative State Plants | Legal precedents for a vege'ing a high THC plant without the intention to flower (eg genetic library backup) have not been set under this new legislation. |
| Importing & Exporting | Importing / exporting has additional requirements, such a Ministry of Justice criminal record check. This applies ONLY for import/export, not domestic activity. |
How to Notify the Police & MPI
Before you begin cultivating, you must notify the NZ Police and MPI. The notification must include the following information (source):
- Identifying details of the person making the notification
- The address and contact details of the notifying person.
- Location information for the cultivation site (Only Police, not MPI):
- The address of the location.
- A plan or map, if the location is not easily identifiable using an address (such as large fields etc).
- A description of the intended nature and scale of the cultivation.
Template Notification Email
You can use the following template as a starting point to notify MPI, with the Police being notified in-person at your local station. Be sure to fill in your specific details (or click here to auto-draft the email):
To:
Subject: Annual Hemp Cultivation Notification - [Your Name]
To whom it may concern,
Please accept this email as my annual notification of my intent to cultivate Hemp, in accordance with the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Regulations 2026.
My Details:
- Full Name: [Your Name]
- Contact Number: [Your Phone Number]
- Residential Address: [Your Home Address]
Intended Nature and Scale of Cultivation:
- [e.g., Personal cultivation of up to 6 plants for seed and fiber / Small scale indoor cultivation for breeding]
NgΔ mihi nui,
[Your Name]NOTE: MPI have advised they do not require the cultivation address, only your own address as part of the contact details. Police however will require the cultivation address when you notify them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if they turn me down?
Well, they can't! Think of this more like a "professional courtesy", you're not asking permission, you're just advising them of what you're up to.
What if I decide not to grow? Are there down-sides to doing this?
Not really! It'll only take a few minutes of your time to do the notification, and if you decide not to do anything with it, or do for a few months and then no longer, you simply just don't notify Police + MPI again for subsequent years.
What are the costs involved in this?
None. There is no license anymore, the previous $500-odd fee is gone, and there are no requirements on security, tracking etc either. If Police have a reason to suspect your plants are over 1% THC, they can require it be tested and bill you for the cost, so don't give them a reason to. Get some known-safe genetics from a clone that has a CoA, and that'll help with certainty there too.
If it's high CBD is it safe then?
Sadly no. High CBD doesn't mean it's safely classified as Hemp. Hemp is now any Cannabis Sativa plant with under 1% THC. Most high CBD plants have more than 1% THC.
Growing a strain that is specifically under 1% THC is the easiest way to ensure your grow is legal.
Starting from a clone that has a CoA (Certificate of Analysis) is even better because you're getting a literal "clone" of the mother. Even if you don't grow it to the full extent of the genetic capabilities, it's still the safest starting point.
What about CBG or CBN levels?
Provided the level of THC in the plant is <1%, then if it's high CBN, CBG or whatever else, that's considered hemp now.
There's not a precedent yet set legally for Delta-8 THC or THC-A (which becomes THC) and we wouldn't recommend putting yourself on the line to find out the hard way. Stick within the confines of the law and you'll be fine. < 1% THC.
Sooooo I can grow hemp at home now?
Yup! Hemp can be grown at home (indoors / outdoors), at that spare room in your mechanics workshop, there's now no limit so it's all viable. You just have to notify Police and MPI, and that's pretty much it
What are good / valid reasons I can advise them?
The law says "Any person may cultivate, possess, process, procure, sell, or supply hemp for any of the
following purposes:
(a) breeding new cultivars and varieties of hemp:
(b) conducting research into the suitability of cultivars and varieties of hemp for the production or
manufacture of hemp products:
(c) producing or manufacturing hemp products:
(d) selling or supplying hemp to a person permitted to possess hemp under these regulations or any
other enactment.
These are all valid reasons. You don't have to make anything up.
Isn't there a bunch of record-keeping requirements etc?
There was, but that was all part of the Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006 (Section 49-54)
As part of the Ministers instruction to reduce administrative overhead, that also includes no further reporting. No records of materials in / out / failed to sow / seeds etc, nothing is needed any longer.
What are the Hemp testing requirements during cultivation?
None up-front during the grow, however Police can *require* you to have some done if they think you're suss, or if they have reason to believe that you're growing high-THC cannabis, not hemp.
Having a clone from a CoA'd plant will help if you're doing small-scale cultivation, and that's easier to obtain than importing seeds which still requires a LOT of additional paperwork. Clones also give a greater certainty about what the final output will be because it's a clone of the mother plant.
Historically ESR (Now Public Health and Forensive Science / PHF Science) or Hill Labs were able to be used for testing, and this will likely continue after the new legislation is introduced on May 28th 2026.
There's no legislatively defined testing criteria so this will be "open to regulatory interpretation" going forward and so anybody cultivating should be aware they may be stuck with a $600 -> $3000 testing bill depending on how this all shakes out. More details as they come through though...
Where can I get an approved cultivar?
All requirements for people to use "approved cultivars" are gone. You can grow anything that has <1% THC!
The safest way is to start from a clone of a known-safe plant, because clones of the "mother" plant are exactly that: clones. Provided you grow them to their fullest, they'll have that same maximum level of THC (and other cannabinoids), meaning if it's, say, 0.8% on the mother plant, then the clones will be too.
There will be a few places that pop up in the near future no doubt that will be able to supply you with these clones, more details to come...
Can I make foods out of hemp now then?
Kind of, but nothing really different from before, because it's a different set of rules that apply to making foods: The Food Act 2014 and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code ("The Code").
The only part of the industrial hemp plant permitted for use in human food is the seed. The sale of food products made from, or containing, hemp flowers, leaves, buds, stems, or roots is still sadly prohibited, though we're hopeful that may be next in the path to decrim / legalization.
There's also really strict rules still that apply to end-products, from The Code Standard 1.4.4 which states:
- Prohibited Words: Product packaging must not include the words "cannabis", "marijuana", or any words of similar meaning.
- Prohibited Imagery: The label must not feature any image or pictorial representation of any part of the cannabis plant, with the sole exception of the seed.
- Therapeutic and Cannabinoid Claims: Labels are prohibited from making therapeutic claims, stating that the food has "calming" or psychoactive effects, or declaring the presence of CBD or THC.
Can I use this in animal feed now then?
In short: Nope. That is still prohibited under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997.
You cannot feed unprocessed / minimally processed hemp biomass (including grazing forage, silage, hay, or baleage) to livestock or companion animals such as pets.
What can I do with the flower then?
The original intent from Minister Seymour was that it could be sold into the Medicinal Cannabis scheme, to a license holder who could process it. The reality is that's ridiculously unlikely to occur, because of the framework of requirements to get a product to market under the NZMQS rules.
We're sure that people will find other creative uses for it though in line with the regulations, in due course.
What about people working on my farm or in my hydro shop?
If you've authorized the location and are doing cultivation there, then there's a general expectation you're not working alone. However it's also your responsibility to ensure that where people are left alone with the plant that they're also authorized to receive it, or that they aren't taking it away with them when they're not.
Working in a field for example? The expectation is that you'll have staff help you, of course.
Growing plants in a hydro store to supply clones to people? Also fine, however you've got to ensure that people can't just walk in off the street and run off with your plant that's on display.