New Zealand industry leaders have welcomed long-overdue regulatory changes that could open the door to exporting domestically produced medicinal cannabis.
The NZ Ministry of Health's Medicinal Cannabis Agency released the reforms this week, with tighter export restrictions set to be loosened in what the sector is calling a major step forward.
Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations will scrap the requirement for products to satisfy NZ minimum quality standards on top of those imposed by the destination country, provided they meet Good Manufacturing Practice standards.
The change will cover starting material, ingredients, and finished products.
The New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council (NZMCC) said the reforms will have a "significant positive impact" on the growth of the sector by helping to build scale and improving affordability for patients.
NZMCC executive director Sally King said: "The council has worked hard for almost three years to collaboratively create the case for change and provide robust solutions to the regulation challenges.
"The issues were particularly acute in export, so the proposed amendments could be a game changer. They are what the sector needs to take our world-class products to the global stage."
She added: "Enabling exports allows the sector to harness economies of scale. That means reduced costs for New Zealand patients, aligning with the council's commitment to making medicinal cannabis more affordable and accessible."
While cautioning that the "devil is in the detail" — and that some specifics still need to be resolved — King said she was confident the MCA understood the pressures facing the industry and would "take the brakes off our exporters".
"We will be able to compete in the global market on an even footing," she said. "That's what we have needed to escalate growth."
Chris James, deputy director-general of regulatory services at the Ministry of Health, said the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme — now three years old — was designed to improve access to "quality medicinal cannabis products for New Zealand patients".
He acknowledged, however, that it had created friction for local operators.
"We received feedback from our medicinal cannabis industry that some of the scheme's requirements were creating challenges for this emerging and rapidly evolving domestic industry," he said.
"Because New Zealand has a small population, our medicinal cannabis market is also small. We recognise that access to export markets is necessary to help ensure our local industry can continue to be commercially viable.
"The changes are designed to streamline and update the scheme's compliance requirements wherever possible without compromising the overall quality of cannabis-based ingredients and medicinal cannabis products supplied to New Zealand patients.
"This will help ensure the medicinal cannabis industry is on a sustainable footing going forward."
