133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
20 October 2025
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
Spencer Jones
By email: [FYI request #32197 email]
Ref:
H2025072130
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 2 September 2025. Each part of your request is
responded to below:
I request the following information concerning industrial hemp (iHemp) from 1 January 2020
to 2 September 2025. Where information is better held by another agency, please transfer
under section 14 and advise me. I remain open to refining scope under section 13 if
required.
Roles and Responsibilities
Al documents (briefings, memos, guidelines, cabinet papers) describing MoH’s role in
iHemp licensing, THC testing, compliance, or environmental impact (e.g., sustainability,
emissions reduction).
I understand you have requested information regarding the Ministry’s role in industrial hemp
activities. Please refer to your previous request which was sent to you on 18 July 2025
(H2025068833). In this request, you requested documents regarding the licencing, compliance,
and quality assurance functions related to industrial hemp, and we provided you with the relevant
links. If you have been unable to access the response, please advi
se [email address] so
that you can be provided with a further copy.
Additionally, I have identified one document in scope of this part of your request in relation to
describing the Ministry’s role in industrial hemp licensing. This is listed in Appendix 1 as
document 1. Where information is withheld under section 9 of the Act, I have considered the
countervailing public interest in release in making this decision and consider that it does not
outweigh the need to withhold at this time. For your information, this document was prepared to
aid the transfer of administration of the industrial hemp framework within Medsafe (from the
Medicines Control branch to the Regulatory Practice and Analysis (RPA) branch) and was
therefore not considered within scope of your previous request.
Interagency Communications
All communications (emails, reports, minutes, MOUs) with MPI, MBIE, MfE referring to
overlapping functions, duplication, or coordination regarding iHemp.
I understand you have previously requested information regarding all interagency communication
referring to overlapping functions, duplication, or coordination regarding industrial hemp. Please
refer to the response under your previous request, H2025068833 where it has been highlighted
that there are currently no shared oversight functions or responsibilities between Medsafe and
other agencies regarding the administration of industrial hemp.
Policy/Efficiency Reviews
Any evaluations, reviews, or policy papers identifying duplication, inefficiencies, or
environmental oversight gaps in hemp regulation.
As you have been informed in the response to your previous request, H2025068833, no
performance reviews or evaluations of the effectiveness of Medsafe’s role in the regulation of
industrial hemp have been undertaken by the Ministry of Health.
As you are aware, the Ministry for Regulation has been undertaking a review of the current
industrial hemp regulations to identify reform options. I have identified three documents that are
in scope of this part of your request. These are withheld in full under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act
to maintain the constitutional conventions that protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by
Ministers and officials, as Cabinet has not made final decisions on the matter. Please see the list
of these itemised in Appendix 1 documents 2-4.
Funding/Programs
Details of MoH-administered or co-funded research, pilots, or initiatives on iHemp (including
carbon/climate projects).
As the entity responsible for the administration of the Industrial Hemp Framework, Medsafe is not
involved in administering or funding research, pilots or initiatives related to industrial hemp.
Therefore, section 18(g)(i) of the Act applies, as the information requested is not held by the
Ministry and there are no grounds for believing it is held by another agency subject to the Act.
For transparency under s18(e), please provide:
teams/units searched,
databases or systems searched,
keywords used (e.g. “hemp,” “iHemp,” “carbon sequestration”),
interagency consultation outcomes.
A search of our internal databases was performed and included the keywords: “Industrial hemp”
or “hemp” and “review” or “consultation” or “evaluation” the date range searched was between 1
January 2020 - 2 September 2025 and produced 1,433,817 results. Due to the volume of results
rendered, the team responsible for this work area used their knowledge to focus on your specific
interests to identify any relevant information.
I trust this information fulfils your request. 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 calling 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
Page 2 of 3
Appendix 1: List of documents for release
#
Date
Document details
Decision on release
1
25 January 2023
Memo - Administering the
Some information withheld
Misuse of Drugs (Industrial
under sections:
Hemp) Regulations 2006
• 9(2)(a) to protect the
privacy of natural
persons.
• 9(2)(k) to prevent the
disclosure or use of
official information for
improper gain or
advantage.
• section 9(2)(h) to
maintain legal
professional privilege.
2
27 June 2025
Briefing for information:
Withheld in full under section
H2025068988 – Advice on
9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act.
proposal to deregulate industrial
hemp
3
9 July 2025
Briefing for information:
H2025069299 –Title Withheld in
full under active consideration
4
19 August 2025
Briefing for information:
H2025071284 –Title Withheld in
full under active consideration
Page 3 of 3
