The New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council (NZMCC) hosted its Industry Day on Oct. 29, 2025 at the EMA in Auckland, bringing together patients, clinicians, researchers, cultivators, advocates and policymakers for a full-day program centered on connection. The agenda was designed to strengthen links across a sector spanning prescribing, cultivation, compliance, research, and policy, with sessions focused on practical collaboration and knowledge sharing.
NZMCC Chair Carmen Doran opened the day and positioned connection as a deliberate focus for the Council, particularly as NZMCC’s membership has expanded to include clinicians, emerging cultivators and the wider support system around the sector, including government, suppliers and academics. The program moved from a Leaders’ Roundtable on the state of medicinal cannabis in New Zealand into regulatory and policy briefings, before splitting into clinical and industry breakout session pathways in the afternoon.
The Industry Day began with a Leaders’ Roundtable discussion examining where the medicinal cannabis sector currently stands.
Leaders’ Roundtable: The State of Medicinal Cannabis in New Zealand
Following a Mihi Whakatau, a Māori welcoming ceremony, the Industry Day began with a Leaders’ Roundtable discussion examining where the medicinal cannabis sector currently stands. The panel brought together senior figures from across healthcare, regulation and business, including Terry Teoh, business growth partner at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE); Tara Creaven-Capasso, director of regulatory affairs ANZ at MedReleaf Australia; Paul Naske, CEO at Rua Bioscience, a Māori-founded pharmaceutical company that specializes in the research, development and sale of medicinal cannabis products both domestically and internationally; and Natalie Lowe, CEO of Green Doctors, a New Zealand medicinal cannabis clinic network.
The discussion covered regulatory maturity, patient access, prescribing trends and the challenges of operating in a tightly regulated environment. Teoh described the Industry Day as “a great connection point, particularly given NZMCC’s recent broadening of membership.” He also reflected on New Zealand’s presence at European Medicinal Cannabis Week earlier in the year. “From conversations with the NZ attendees and partners, themes that resonated particularly well included a responsible and ethical ecosystem that puts people first, NZ’s agricultural leadership heritage, and companies that are responsive and scalable,” he says.
Regulatory and Policy Briefings: Roles, Responsibilities and Reform
The morning continued with a session called Inside the Regulatory Framework: Roles, Responsibilities and Compliance, presented by Tania Jones from the Medicinal Cannabis Agency. Jones outlined how the Agency oversees New Zealand’s medicinal cannabis system, walking through licensing requirements, compliance obligations and the responsibilities of operator
