1927 - New Zealand Passes Dangerous Drugs Act - Cannabis Restricted as Prescription Medicine

Unfortunately for New Zealand, it was one of the only British colonies where industrial hemp was not cultivated, largely thanks to as the native Harakeke plant, which can be used in much the same way.

In 1927, New Zealand passed the Dangerous Drugs Act, who's schedule included among the other intoxicants:

Indian hemp - that is, the dried flowering or fruiting tops of the pistillate plant known as Cannabis sativa L. from which the resin has not been extracted, and

including:

(a) Resin obtained from Indian hemp;

(b) Preparations of which the resin from Indian hemp forms the base; and

(c) Extracts and tinctures of Indian hemp.

Medicinal Cannabis continued to be utilized as a prescription medicine.

In accordance with its international obligations under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, New Zealand passed the Narcotics Act in 1965, which prohibited a number of drugs, including cannabis.

Recreational Cannabis remained rare in New Zealand until the late 1960s when demand boomed among musicians.

*We wanted to post this blog as 1927, but our blog wont allow us to set the date before 1970, so we set it to that instead.