1. What the law is
Since 2025 a named psychiatrist in New Zealand can prescribe psilocybin, and the approval attaches to the practitioner, not the medicine. Medsafe grants it under regulation 22 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977, for psychedelic-assisted therapy outside a research setting, and the first psychiatrist was approved that year. No psilocybin medicine is an approved product here. Outside that approval psilocybin is Class A under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, and possession, supply or cultivation is a crime.
2. Trials in New Zealand
Interventional psilocybin trials with at least one site in New Zealand, as their sponsors filed them with ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS and ISRCTN. Each row links to the registry record, which sets out who may take part.
Recruiting or opening counts trials recruiting now, not yet recruiting, or enrolling by invitation. Closed counts trials terminated, suspended, withdrawn or left unverified by their sponsors.
| Registry ID | Trial | Phase | Sponsor | Status | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05581797 | Psilocybin-assisted Interpersonal Therapy for Depression (opens in new tab)Site at University of Otago, Christchurch | Phase Not applicable | Sponsor University of Otago | Status Completed | Start date |
ClinicalTrials.gov data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
3. History
The legal events behind this entry, dated and oldest first. Our own reviews and corrections are listed under Changes to this record.
Medical use status takes effect.
4. Proposed laws
No proposed law is on file in New Zealand that would change this entry, as of the 16 Aug 2026 review.
5. Common questions
Is psilocybin legal in New Zealand?
Psilocybin is legal for medical use in New Zealand.
Are magic mushrooms ("shrooms") legal in New Zealand?
"Magic mushrooms" and "shrooms" are common names for fungi that contain psilocybin, and this entry states the law on psilocybin itself, which some laws treat separately from the fungus. Psilocybin is legal for medical use in New Zealand.
Read the law
Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (psilocybine and psilocine are Class A controlled drugs, Schedule 1); Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977, regulation 22: Medsafe approval pathway for practitioners to prescribe, supply and administer psilocybin for a defined clinical purpose (guidance published 24 July 2025).1
Sources
This entry's status is checked against the primary sources below, and the methodology explains how each entry is graded for confidence.
- 1.medsafe.govt.nz (opens in new tab) · medsafe.govt.nz
- 2.beehive.govt.nz (opens in new tab) · beehive.govt.nz
This entry is for information only and is not legal or medical advice. Laws change, and enforcement can differ from the letter of the law, so check the current position against the primary sources above before relying on it.
Changes to this record
2 changes on file, the latest on . Show allHide
Every change we have made to this record, dated, corrections included. Nothing changes silently.
New Zealand's entry is re-verified against Medsafe's own guidance and two government releases, which date the prescribing pathway to June and July 2025 and confirm that psilocybin remains an unapproved medicine.
New Zealand had been recorded as decriminalized, which was wrong: psilocybin is a Class A drug. The status was corrected to medical because Medsafe began approving individual prescribers in 2025.
Psilocybin Media Group. "New Zealand: psilocybin legal status." The Psilocybin Record, accession NZ-001, version of 23 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/new-zealand