Is Xylazine legal in New Zealand?
- Legal status
- Xylazine is regulated in New Zealand as a Restricted Veterinary Medicine (RVM) under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997, usable only under veterinary authorisation; it is a veterinary sedative and is not a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised sale or use of xylazine is an ACVM Act offence rather than a Misuse of Drugs Act offence, as it is not a scheduled controlled drug.
- If prescribed or medical
- Available only through a veterinarian's authorisation (including for sedation and for the removal of deer velvet antler); no human use of xylazine is approved.
- Documentation
- Xylazine is a registered RVM sold and used under veterinary authorisation per MPI's ACVM controls.
Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Xylazine in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in New Zealand
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.
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