Is Peyote legal in New Zealand?
- Legal status
- New Zealand controls BOTH: mescaline is a Class A controlled drug in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, and the peyote plant is named directly — Lophophora williamsii and Lophophora lewinii are regulated under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977 — so the living cactus is caught as well as the alkaloid.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession or supply of the named Lophophora cactus, or of mescaline, is a Class A offence; supply carries up to life imprisonment.
- If prescribed or medical
- Mescaline is Class A with no accepted medical use; peyote is not a prescribable substance.
- Documentation
- MDA 1975 Schedule 1 lists mescaline (with its isomers, esters, ethers and salts) as Class A; the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977 name Lophophora williamsii and Lophophora lewinii among controlled plants.
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 →