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Medicinal cannabis · Aotearoa NZ

Medical cannabis, made clear.

New Zealand's trusted, independent guide to medicinal cannabis. We explain the law, the honest evidence and the prescription pathway — then help you find a registered clinic. Calm, credible, patient-first.

Start the pathwayIs it right for you?
Legal since 2020Any GP can prescribeHonest, sourced evidence
Soft morning light on native New Zealand fern fronds beaded with dew

Independent & education-first. We never sell or supply cannabis.

Honest

We label evidence strength plainly — strong, mixed, limited or insufficient — and say when cannabis may not be the right fit. Every claim is sourced.

Clear

The NZ Medicinal Cannabis Scheme made simple: who can prescribe, what it costs out-of-pocket, the driving rules, and exactly what to do next.

Connected

A factual directory of registered NZ clinics and pharmacies — framed as a health-service referral, never a 'get approved today' funnel.

The patient pathway

How to get a medical cannabis prescription in NZ

See the full pathway
  1. 01

    Understand your options

    Learn how the NZ scheme works and whether cannabis fits your situation.

  2. 02

    Talk to a doctor

    Book with your GP or a dedicated medical-cannabis clinic.

  3. 03

    Get assessed

    The doctor reviews your history and decides if it's appropriate.

  4. 04

    Receive your prescription

    If suitable, you're prescribed a quality-assured product.

Is it right for you?

A quick, private self-check

Six plain questions to help you reflect and prepare for a conversation with a registered NZ doctor. It's purely educational — not a diagnosis or an eligibility decision — and it runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.

No sign-upNothing storedNot a diagnosis
Open the full self-check page →

Answer a few questions to help you prepare for a conversation with a doctor. There are no right or wrong answers, and nothing is stored or sent anywhere — this runs entirely in your browser.

  1. 1. Do you have a persistent symptom or condition (such as chronic pain, sleep difficulty, or anxiety) that affects your daily life?

  2. 2. Have you already tried standard, first-line treatments for it with a doctor?

    Cannabis is not first-line for any indication in NZ — prescribers usually consider it after other options.

  3. 3. Are you willing to discuss this openly with a registered NZ doctor (your GP or a clinic)?

  4. 4. Are you aware that most products are not funded and are paid out-of-pocket?

  5. 5. Do you have a personal or strong family history of psychosis or schizophrenia?

    THC can worsen psychosis risk — this is an important thing to raise with a prescriber.

  6. 6. Are you pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding?

    Medicinal cannabis is generally considered inappropriate during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Condition guides

The evidence, ranked honestly

16 conditions, each labelled by how strong the evidence really is — from strong RCT support to insufficient. Honesty is the brand.

View all 16 guides →
Strong evidence

Epilepsy

The strongest evidence of any indication — for purified CBD as add-on therapy in specific rare, treatment-resistant childhood epilepsies.

Strong evidence

Chemo nausea (CINV)

Strong evidence that THC-based medicines reduce refractory chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, used as a second- or third-line add-on.

Moderate evidence

MS spasticity

Moderate evidence for nabiximols (Sativex) on patient-reported MS spasticity. Sativex is Medsafe-approved and any NZ doctor can prescribe it.

Mixed evidence

Chronic pain

The most common reason NZ patients ask about medical cannabis — but the evidence shows a large base with only a small, inconsistent effect.

Mixed evidence

Anxiety

Mixed evidence for CBD, with an unusual dose-response. THC can make anxiety worse — careful, individualised prescribing matters most here.

Limited evidence

Nerve pain

Limited, low-quality evidence with a striking harm signal — reserved behind standard nerve-pain medicines.

Limited evidence

Sleep

Limited, emerging evidence. Subjective sleep improvements are driven by THC products; CBD-only showed no significant effect.

Limited evidence

Appetite & cachexia

Divergent evidence: limited but positive in HIV/AIDS wasting; insufficient in cancer cachexia, where the best trial showed no benefit.

Know the law

Medicinal cannabis is legal. Recreational use is not.

Since 1 April 2020, the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme has let registered doctors prescribe quality-assured products. Recreational cannabis remains illegal. And from 2026, roadside oral-fluid testing changes what patients need to know about driving.

Driving & the lawWhat it costs
2020
Scheme commenced
Any GP
Can prescribe most products
2
Medsafe-approved medicines
Out-of-pocket
Most products unfunded
From the resource library

Read up before you decide

All articles →
4 min read

How New Zealand's Medicinal Cannabis Scheme actually works

A plain-English explainer of the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme: who can prescribe, what 'verified' and 'approved' really mean, and how a prescription becomes a product in your hands.

4 min read

38- year NZ study finds cannabis linked to just one physical health problem

As more jurisdictions around the world move toward regulating their respective cannabis markets, the debate over the legalisation of medical marijuana in New Zealand is becoming…

3 min read

7 terpenes every cannabis connoisseur should be familiar with

Cannabis Terpenes While the aroma of marijuana is unmistakable to the seasoned nose, it’s fairly difficult to describe in words exactly what it smells like. Some strains have a…

Wondering if medical cannabis is right for you?

Start with the patient pathway to see how the NZ scheme works, or browse registered clinics and telehealth services. The clinic — not mc.nz — makes every clinical decision.

See the pathway →Find a clinic