Marijuana Business Magazine February 2020

February 2020 | mjbizdaily.com 31 New Zealand Releases Regulations for MMJ; Rules Take Effect April 1 New Zealand completed the regulatory foundation for its medical cannabis sector, making a key concession by not requiring specialist approval for prescriptions. When the new rules take effect April 1, all general practitioners will be able to prescribe medical cannabis products. The final regulations establish the licensing requirements for domestic cultivation and manufacture of medical cannabis products. “There is huge international interest in the potential of medicinal cannabis. These regulations mean New Zealand companies will be well placed to manufacture for both the local and international market,” Health Minister David Clark said in a statement. Twenty companies are currently licensed to grow cannabis for research purposes. Another 238 firms have permits to grow industrial hemp. “It’s expected that at least some of these companies will apply for licenses for medicinal cannabis,” Clark said. The first commercial licenses are expected to be handed out by mid-2020, and cannabis products from local producers could be in pharmacies by the end of the year. © 2020 Marijuana Business Daily, a division of Anne Holland Ventures. All rights reserved. Data is current as of Jan. 15, 2019.