Is Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice) legal in New Zealand?
- Legal status
- Controlled as a class. After a wave of fatal poisonings, New Zealand classified the most harmful synthetic cannabinoids AMB-FUBINACA and 5F-ADB as Class A controlled drugs by the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 2019 (in force 13 August 2019); other synthetic cannabinoids are caught as controlled-drug analogues (Class C) under the analogue provision of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.
- Consequences if caught
- Illegal; the named Class A synthetic cannabinoids carry supply penalties up to life imprisonment, analogues up to 8 years. No death penalty.
- If prescribed or medical
- These synthetic cannabinoids have no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route in New Zealand.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route for controlled synthetic cannabinoids; do not carry.
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 →