New Zealand
Oceania
#42 of 196 worldwide
#2 of 14 in Oceania
Illegal, but since 2019 police must consider a health-based response before prosecuting. A legalisation referendum narrowly failed in 2020; the medical scheme has operated since.
Score breakdown ▏world average
Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.
Possession · 25%2/10adds 5.0 of 25 points
Possession is a criminal offence with a maximum of three months' prison or a NZ$500 fine, and a legal presumption against imprisonment. Since August 2019 police must consider whether a health-based response would be more beneficial than prosecution, and many cases now end in a warning or referral — but thousands are still charged.
Personal cultivation · 25%1/10adds 2.5 of 25 points
Growing any cannabis plant is a criminal offence, with up to seven years on indictment.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%4/10adds 8.0 of 20 points
Mostly warnings and fines for users, with prosecutions down since 2019 but far from gone. Cultivation and supply carry prison.
Sharing & gifting · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Supply, including giving it away, is an offence; holding 28 g or more creates a presumption of supply.
Consumption · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Use is an offence under the same provision as possession, handled with the same police discretion.
Legal access · 10%2/10adds 2.0 of 10 points
No adult-use source. A 2020 referendum on a regulated legal market failed narrowly, 50.7% to 48.4%. Medicinal cannabis is available on prescription from pharmacies.
More context not part of the score
Since April 2020 the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme licenses commercial cultivation and manufacture for medicinal use only.
Prescription flower and oils that meet the scheme's quality standard; nothing else.
Any doctor can prescribe approved medicinal cannabis products for any condition. Products are unsubsidised and costly.
A conviction is a criminal record affecting travel and work. Roadside oral-fluid drug testing was introduced with penalties for THC.
All sources
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