133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
18 July 2025
Spencer Jones
By email: [FYI request #31348 email]
Ref:
H2025068833
Tēnā koe Spencer
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 19 June 2025. Please find a response to each part of
your request below.
1. **Regulatory Role**
All documentation outlining Medsafe’s regulatory, compliance, or quality assurance
functions related to industrial hemp, CBD, or low-THC cannabis. This includes internal
policy documents, guidelines, briefing papers, risk assessments, or legislative advice
prepared since 1 January 2018.
I understand you are referring to the regulation of industrial hemp and therefore in responding to
this request, we have not separately searched for information in relation to ‘CBD’ or ‘low-THC
cannabis’.
The Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006 are a set of regulations which fal under
the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (MoDA). As with most regulatory regimes administered under
MoDA, the administration of the industrial hemp framework is the responsibility of the Ministry.
Where you have asked for information related to regulation, we would refer you to the wording in
the legislation found at the fol owing link:
• Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006 (SR 2006/163) – New Zealand
Legislation
www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2006/0163/latest/whole.html#DLM389407.
More information regarding the licencing, compliance, and quality assurance functions related to
industrial hemp can be found here:
• Industrial hemp licensing | Ministry of Health NZ
www.health.govt.nz/regulation-legislation/industrial-hemp/industrial-hemp-licensing.
2. **Interagency Duplication or Role Clarity**
Any internal or interagency communications (including emails, meeting minutes, reports,
or discussion papers) involving Medsafe and:
* Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI),
* Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE),
* Ministry for the Environment (MfE),
that refer to:
* overlapping roles or functions,
* shared responsibilities,
* duplicated processes or regulatory uncertainty in relation to hemp regulation.
The Ministry can confirm that whilst industrial hemp plant material and seed grown under the
licensing framework can be regulated under other pieces of legislation (such as the Food Act
2014, where the hul ed seed is to be used in food) depending on the product and the activity
being undertaken with it, these are different functions and not considered to be overlapping or
duplicated.
As such, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act as the information
requested is not held by the Ministry and there are no grounds for believing the information aligns
more closely with another agency subject to the Act.
3. **Shared Oversight Responsibilities**
Any contracts, operational procedures, or consultation reports involving Medsafe and
other agencies that describe:
* joint involvement in product testing, compliance activities, or licensing,
* shared or duplicated oversight of industrial hemp or hemp-derived compounds.
There are currently no shared oversight responsibilities or joint involvement in product testing,
compliance activities or licensing between Medsafe and other agencies.
As such, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act.
4. **Performance Reviews or Evaluations**
All reviews, evaluations, or internal assessments conducted or received by Medsafe since
1 January 2018 regarding:
* the effectiveness, efficiency, or appropriateness of Medsafe’s role in the regulation of
hemp products,
* any identified redundancies, inefficiencies, or jurisdictional confusion across agencies.
We have interpreted your request to be in relation to the overarching regulatory framework of
industrial hemp (rather than internal process reviews for example) and have responded to as
such.
No reviews or evaluations in relation to the performance of the industrial hemp framework have
been conducted by Medsafe since the implementation of the legislation.
Evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency, or appropriateness of Medsafe’s role in the regulation of
hemp products and identifying redundancies, inefficiencies, or jurisdictional confusion across
other Ministries is not applicable as al activities relating to industrial hemp are managed within
the Ministry of Health.
Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act.
However, you may be aware that the Ministry for Regulation has been undertaking a piece of
work involving a review of the Industrial Hemp Regulations to identify reform options (refer link
below). For more information, we would suggest you contact the Ministry for Regulation.
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• Industrial hemp regulations to be reviewed | Ministry for Regulation
www.regulation.govt.nz/news/industrial-hemp-regulations-to-be-reviewed/.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel free
to contact the OIA Services Team on: [email address].
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions
made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by cal ing 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at: www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests.
Nāku noa, nā
Chris James
Group Manager
Medsafe
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