The New Zealand government gave doctors approval to begin importing and prescribing CBD products to patients, although the nation currently lacks a supplier.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound of the cannabis plant which is known for its medical properties and lack of psychoactive effects on the user. CBD was previously a controlled substance under New Zealand drug laws.

With no supplier, many patients who applied for the program have to pay extensive taxes for the imported CBD products they are prescribed.

New Zealand lawyer and cannabis advocate Sue Grey said lifting the restriction was unlikely to offer patients diverse options in treatment, but was a significant step of the government recognizing the medical properties of cannabis.

In a documentary about New Zealand residents who benefited from medical cannabis, a statistic showed 175,000 people in the country had used cannabis for medical purposes, but had not been informed about cannabidiol by their doctor.