Is Salvia divinorum legal in New Zealand?
- Legal status
- Controlled by the psychoactive-products regime. Salvia divinorum is not a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, but it is a psychoactive substance under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013; because no salvia product has been approved as low-risk, importing, manufacturing, selling or supplying it is prohibited. Mechanism: BLANKET NPS / product-approval regime (salvia is an unapproved psychoactive product).
- Consequences if caught
- Importing, manufacturing, selling or supplying salvia as an unapproved psychoactive product is an offence under the 2013 Act; there is no approved product on the market.
- If prescribed or medical
- Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A have no approved therapeutic product and no lawful prescription route.
- Documentation
- No lawful commercial import/sale route absent product approval; salvia is treated as a prohibited unapproved psychoactive product.
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 →