Is Crack Cocaine legal in New Zealand?
- Legal status
- Crack is the freebase (base) form of cocaine and has no separate legal identity in New Zealand: it is controlled AS cocaine, a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, whose scheduling covers cocaine, its salts, esters and preparations and thus reaches the base/freebase form. Crack is a Class A drug on the same terms as cocaine.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession of crack (as cocaine) is an offence (Sec 7, up to 6 months, with police discretion since 2019); supply and manufacture carry up to life (Sec 6).
- If prescribed or medical
- Cocaine hydrochloride has narrow authorised medical use as a topical anaesthetic; the crack/freebase base has no medicinal form and cannot be prescribed.
- Documentation
- No prescription documentation exists for crack/freebase cocaine.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with New Zealand’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →