What is a Medical Cannabis Vaporizer in New Zealand?

In NZ a Medicinal Cannabis Vaporizer is a medical-grade device designed for administering medicinal cannabis to patients. The method of administration is through vaporization and inhalation. Also referred to as a Medical Vape or Medical Vaporizer.

Once Certified for Medical use it becomes a "Medical Device" in NZ. Medical Devices have different rules for sellers and users compared to (now) regulated vapes like Pax, DynaVap, Arizer etc.

Companies who import these Certified Medical Vapes have a lot invested as the process of getting just one Medical Vape approved for Medicinal use in NZ can take up to a couple of years and cost more than $2M NZD. More vapes are coming but it's a long and very costly process.

Are They Legal?

In New Zealand, only cannabis vaporizers that have been approved and certified as medical devices are allowed to be sold and possessed. The first two medical-grade vaporizers for dry herb medical cannabis approved for use in New Zealand were Storz & Bickel-manufactured vaporizers. In July 2025, the G Pen Elite II was also approved and certified for use in the country.

Interesting Facts about owning a Certified Medical Vaporizer.

There are a few bonuses to owning a fully certified Medical Device for your Medicinal Cannabis medication. All non-medically certified Herbal Vapes are illegal to posses (according to NZ Customs, NZ Police etc) until you place your scripted Medical Cannabis in the device, then it becomes legal! It can no longer be considered a cannabis utensil under the misuse of drugs act. BUT, there are still limitations on where you can use these devices (if not certified as a Medical Device). You must use the non-certified Herbal Vape in private even though it is legal with your scripted Cannabis in its oven.

If you purchased one of our Certified Medical Vaporizers (Elite 2, M+M, VM2) you can use it anywhere! Legally you can use it inside hospitals, even Smoke Free areas (with respect to other people nearby of course). Being a certified Medical Device it can be used in public. For example if you are using a PAX or Arizer or any other vape that is not certified in a hospital setting you could be told to not only go outside but actually go outside of the Hospital grounds to use it. If you had a certified Medical Vape you could challenge them on using it from your hospital bed. Medical Devices are in a different category to regular vapes and have different rules. They are vaporizers technically but legally they are Medical Devices.

How Do They Work?

A medical-grade cannabis vaporizer contains an element that heats the ground medical cannabis flower in the chamber, allowing it to vaporize. The vapor is then drawn through the mouthpiece for inhalation. This method of administration allows for the delivery of medical cannabis without producing harmful smoke, following the principle of "heat not burn."

So far all of the certified Medical Devices are Hybrid Heating Vapes. This means they have 2 heat sources, usually vapes only have one or the other. They produce Conduction Heating which is "Hot Oven Walls" conducting heat into your ground herb and Convection Heating that is "Hot Air" produced when you draw on the Hybrid Vape and pull the heat through your ground herb. Sometimes this can dry your throat out a bit. Hybrid vapes are very efficient and produce plenty of vapor as they benefit from both conduction and convection heating.

Are Vaporizers Safe?

To be legally sold in New Zealand, medicinal cannabis vaporizers must be registered as medical devices. These devices must meet stringent manufacturing and design quality standards, and their production process is audited by health authorities. Purchasing an approved medical vaporizer provides peace of mind regarding the safety of your device.

Medical Vaporizers for Patients NZ.

At the time of writing this (Aug 2025) there are only 4 Certified Medical Vaporizers in New Zealand. The one we don't sell is the older Mighty Medic, we only sell the Mighty+ Medic, the new model. There's also the Volcano Medic 2 and the brand new G Pen Elite II portable which is our newest and cheapest option.