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About the application fees
The Medicinal Cannabis Agency has set the application fee for a medicinal cannabis licence and product assessments to reflect the cost of processing and assessing applications and carrying out inspections.
All application fees below are in New Zealand dollars and inclusive of GST. Fees cannot be refunded if an application is declined.
Fee for the initial check of the application
Upon receipt of your application, the Medicinal Cannabis Agency will issue an invoice for an initial check of the application. The purpose of the check is to ensure your application appears to have been completed in full and is ready for assessment.
The initial check will not be carried out until the invoice has been paid.
Once your application has passed the initial check, the Medicinal Cannabis Agency will issue an invoice for the appropriate fee for the assessment of the application.
Licence Application Fee summary
The following table summarises the schedule of fees for medicinal cannabis licence applications and an assessment of the activities to be covered by the licence:
| Fee | New application (GST included) | Renewal (GST included) | Amendment (GST included) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial check | $345.00 | $345.00 | $345.00 |
| Medicinal Cannabis Licence fee | $2,587.50 | $2,587.50 | No additional fee |
| Assessment – Cultivation activity (per location) | $5,462.50 | $3,392.50 | $5,462.50 |
| Assessment – Seed supply activity (per location) | $747.50 | $747.50 | $747.50 |
| Assessment – Research activity (per location) | No additional fee | No additional fee | No additional fee |
| Assessment – Possession for Manufacture activity (per location) | $3,105.00 | $2,645.00 | $3,105.00 |
| Assessment – Supply activity (per location) | $6,382.50 | $5,922.50 | $6,382.50 |
Example
An applicant wishes to apply for a new licence for ‘cultivation’ and ‘supply’ activities. The cultivation activity will take place at two locations, while the supply activity will take place at one location only. The initial check of the application confirms that all necessary information and documents appear to have been provided.
The applicant must pay a total of $20,240 (including GST):
- $345.00 for the initial check of the application
- $2,587.50 for the licence fee
- $10,925.00 for consideration of the cultivation activity ($5,462.50 for each location)
- $6,382.50 for consideration of the supply activity (one location only).
Declaration of illicit seeds and plants
A declaration of illicit seeds and plants limits the procurement to no more than 50 seeds and 20 plants of a variety of cannabis that is established in New Zealand. An applicant or licence holder with a Cultivation activity which enables the cultivation of high THC cultivars may make more than one declaration.
| Fee | (GST included) |
|---|---|
| Each declaration | $747.50 |
New medicinal cannabis product assessment fees
The following table lists fees for cannabis-based ingredient (CBI) or medicinal cannabis product.
| What is assessed | Assessment fee (including GST) |
|---|---|
| Initial check of the application | $345.00 |
| Cannabis-based ingredient | $7,705.00 |
| Dried product | $7,705.00 |
| Dosage product only (where CBI has been verified) | $7,705.00 |
| Dosage product (includes assessment of CBI)* | $15,410.00 |
* includes an assessment of cannabis-based ingredients within the finished product.
Change application categories and fees
The fees for assessing changes to a medicinal cannabis product or cannabis-based ingredient are the application assessment fees set out in regulation 36 of the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations 2019. As per regulation 34(6), the Agency is partially waiving these fees to better reflect an estimate of the complexity and the work required to assess each change.
The following table lists the different change categories and associated fees. If you have multiple changes, a fee will be charged for each change. You will be invoiced for the combined total.
| Category Type | Complexity of Change | Assessment fee (including GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial check of the application | $345.00 | |
| 1 | Low | $759.00 |
| 2 | Medium | $1,380.00 |
| 3 | High | $2,415.00 |
Further information on the change categories and applicable fees can be found in the: Guidance for a Changed Medicinal Cannabis Product Application document.
