Guide to Buying CBD in Australasia For 2021

Summary: Buying CBD in Australasia

1. CBD products are hard to find in Australasia — you’ll need a medical license
2. Most people in Australia and New Zealand order CBD oils from Premium Jane Australia and have it shipped to their home (free shipping offered on most orders)
3. CBD is legal only for medical use
4. Australian health authorities permit CBD if the content of other cannabinoids (including THC) doesn’t exceed 2%
5. In New Zealand, CBD is legal if the content of THC and other psychoactive substances doesn’t exceed 2%
6. In Australia, CBD falls under the medical cannabis program
7. Importing CBD is prohibited in Australia
8. New Zealand allows the import of CBD with a medical prescription
9. Cannabis in Papua New Guinea is illegal
10. CBD laws in Australasia are shifting towards friendlier regulations

CBD Companies That Ship to Australia & New Zealand

1. Premium Jane Australia
2. Kiara Naturals (Ships From Europe)
3. Endoca (Ships From Europe)
4. Bluebird Botanicals (Ships from the US)

A Brief History of Cannabis Laws in Australasia

Although Australia and New Zealand were both British colonies, they have a different cannabis history.

Unlike Australia and New Zealand, Papua New Guinea doesn’t have a remarkable history of cannabis use. Cannabis was introduced to Papua New Guinea in the late 60s by Australian and American expatriates. 

Cannabis was first introduced to Australia in 1788 when the British First Fleet brought hemp seeds to initiate hemp cultivation. The British naval power needed hemp primarily for cordage and sails.

For more than 150 years, the Australian government encouraged farmers to cultivate hemp with subsidies and land. British colonizers also introduced the medicinal use of cannabis in Australia in the 19th century. Australians used cannabis for both recreational and medicinal purposes.

In the 1920s, marijuana use increased throughout the West. Soon, the 1930s became the years of anti-marijuana propaganda led by the US government.

The aggressive reefer-madness campaign progressed with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which restricted cannabis sales with high taxes.

As a cannabis plant, hemp also fell under the act. Influenced by American politics and regulations, the Australian government banned cannabis (some states banned the import of cannabis even before the US did).

In New Zealand, hemp wasn’t a popular crop, as another plant was widely used for its fiber quality — harakeke. Known as the New Zealand flax, harakeke replaced hemp. However, hemp in New Zealand was used as a remedy and an insect repellent plant.

In 1941, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research planted hemp as a trial crop for fiber. A few years later, New Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture planted four hectares of hemp. In 1948, cannabis’ psychoactive properties were discovered, and the government stopped all trials.

In Australia, cannabis cultivation became legal for medical and scientific purposes in 2016. New Zealand legalized government-licensed hemp cultivation in 2006 after the hemp lobby advocated for its legalization for more than a decade. As of December 2018, terminally ill patients can have access to medicinal cannabis.

The Differences Between Hemp and Marijuana in Australasia

1.    Marijuana

Marijuana is any cannabis plant that contains more than 0.35% THC — the main cannabinoid known for its psychoactive effects related to the recreational use of the plant.

2.    Hemp

Unlike marijuana, hemp plants don’t contain high amounts of THC. In New Zealand, hemp includes varieties of Cannabis sativa that have a THC content below 0.35%.

Some Australian states have a higher threshold for THC content, varying from 0.35% to 1%.  

Is CBD Legal in Australasia?

CBD in Australasia is restricted. While the cannabinoid is available only via prescription in both countries, the regulations around its use and import are slightly different.

1. Australia

Verdict: Legal for Medical Use

In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates CBD as a controlled substance under poison and drug laws. The cannabinoid falls under the medical cannabis program.

CBD can be obtained via an authorized prescriber or the Special Access Scheme (SAS). In some cases, patients can acquire CBD through clinical trials.

In Australia, CBD is legal as long as the content of other cannabinoids (including THC) in the CBD product doesn’t exceed 2%.

2. New Zealand

Verdict: Legal for Medical Use

In New Zealand, CBD is classified as a prescription medicine under the Medicines Act 1981. Access to CBD is possible only by prescription from an authorized prescriber. Patients are allowed to import CBD, but the product must fall within legal THC limits.

Under New Zealand’s law, the content of tetrahydrocannabinol and other psychoactive substances mustn’t exceed 2%. The Ministry of Health notes that medicinal cannabis products like Sativex are not considered CBD products. 

3. Papua New Guinea

Verdict: Banned

Cannabis — called spak brus among the indigenous people — in Papua New Guinea is illegal and any possession related to it is punishable.

How to Buy CBD Products in Australasia

CBD is available in Australia & New Zealand through a special access scheme (medical cannabis program), but illegal in Papua New Guinea.

The market here is very new, and licensed pharmacies have limited product choices. 

In fact, it’s very difficult to find CBD products here. There are very few companies operating locally due to steep restrictions by local government. The vast majority of CBD brands are located in the United States and Europe — and only a small fraction will ship overseas to Australia in fear of having their orders confiscated at the border.

We’ve found the best options for people living in Australia and New Zealand is Endoca, followed by Hemp Bombs or BlueBird Botanicals. All three companies will ship to Australia (some free of charge). We haven’t been able to find any reports of CBD products being stopped at the border and Endoca claims to have had no problems shipping to the region (hence the free shipping offer).

Health authorities and other regulatory bodies are under constant pressure to ease access to CBD. New Zealand’s government announced a nationwide referendum for cannabis legalization in 2020.

In September 2019, the Australian Capital Territory legalized the recreational use of cannabis. The progressive changes point out that laws around CBD will become even friendlier on CBD companies hoping to operate in the region.

If you live in New Zealand, you can import CBD (up to 3 months supply), with or without a prescription from an authorized prescriber. In Australia, importing CBD is prohibited, unless the product has valid import permission.

Unlike Australia, New Zealand doesn’t require an import license for CBD products. Importing CBD that doesn’t fall under New Zealand’s CBD product definition is illegal.

Keep yourself informed on the current changes in local regulations. Once governments enact friendlier CBD laws, you’ll be able to buy CBD products online from countries with highly developed CBD markets.

Pros & Cons of Buying CBD Online in Australasia

If you want to buy CBD from an online store, you might need to use a mail forwarding service. Some companies don’t ship CBD to your country, and your mail will have to be forwarded to arrive at your address.

How Mail Forwarding Works

You can use a mail forwarding service when you want to purchase CBD from a store that won’t ship to your country.

For example, if you want to buy CBD from the US or Europe, but the company doesn’t ship to where you live, you can register at Shipito.

The mail forwarding company provides you with a local address you will use to place your CBD order.

When the product arrives to the mail forwarding service, staff will change the stamps and forward the package to your home address.

Mail forwarding companies offer concierge services, which means that you can provide them with product details, and they’ll shop for you.

Fees and costs vary from one mail forwarding company to another. As we’ve already mentioned Shipito, here are its mail forwarding rates:

Their concierge service costs are as follows:

$8.50 fee + 4.3% processing + 8% commission.

NOTE: Although the Australian Capital Territory legalized recreational cannabis, laws around CBD haven’t changed yet.

A mail forwarding service can help you get your CBD to your door, but the product can still end up seized at customs, and you’d put yourself in trouble.

If you live in New Zealand and want to buy medical CBD, read the product’s content before you order it to make sure it’s legal for import.

The Future of CBD in Australasia

Australasia has traditionally been very unaccepting of CBD, but things are changing.

The Australasian authorities are aware that they need to reshape their regulations in order to follow the international scientific and economic cannabis development.

Australia is easing its laws  — the legalization of recreational cannabis in the Australian Capital Territory is the basis for new CBD laws. New Zealand will likely change its restrictive laws after the cannabis legalization referendum in 2020.

According to Emerald Plants Health Source, Australia will become the “envy of the global market and the gateway to Asia,” thanks to its highly developed agricultural and crop safety management systems.

Many parts of Australia have a suitable climate and plenty of available land for cannabis cultivation. The long history of cannabis use would only contribute to a well-developed cannabis and CBD market.

Considering everything, it’s likely that CBD in Australia and New Zealand will soon fall under friendlier regulations.

Final Thoughts: Buying CBD in Australasia

You can buy CBD if you live in New Zealand or Australia only with a prescription from an authorized prescriber, or by registering under the cannabis medical system.

In Papua New Guinea, there is no legal option to buy CBD — the country prohibits any cannabis possession and use, meaning you would be breaking the law if you try to import a CBD product.

If you live in New Zealand and want to buy CBD from a foreign country, you can use a mail forwarding service to get the product shipped at your address. When you make your order, make sure your product contains at least 98% CBD. Your best option is to shop for CBD isolate products (THC-free).

Australian authorities currently prohibit CBD import.

Laws are changing quickly in the Australasian region, meaning you’ll soon be able to buy CBD products online from foreign countries and, hopefully, from local stores.