Is Hemp Legal in New Caledonia?
May 29, 2026
Industrial hemp is not licensed in New Caledonia. French Code penal applies; no territorial DDR-NC hemp programme is in force.
Industrial hemp is not licensed in New Caledonia. French Code penal applies; no territorial DDR-NC hemp programme is in force.
Industrial hemp cultivation is not established in New Caledonia. The territory's agricultural competence is devolved under the Loi organique du 19 mars 1999, but the Direction du Developpement Rural (DDR-NC) and the Chambre d'Agriculture et de la Peche has not opened a hemp licensing programme equivalent to the metropolitan French registration with the Etablissement national des produits de l'agriculture et de la mer (FranceAgriMer). New Caledonia's biodiversity-protection regime and tropical climate have prioritised nickel-related land-use questions, taro, yam, and coffee over industrial hemp.
No commercial hemp seed register, fibre processor, or CBD-extraction facility is licensed. Imports of hempseed food, hempcrete, fibre textiles, and CBD-containing hemp products are reviewed by Douanes case by case. Cannabis sativa cultivation outside an authorised programme is treated as cannabis cultivation under the Code penal regardless of THC content.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.
Illegal
Direction du Developpement Rural (DDR-NC); Chambre d'Agriculture et de la Peche; Douanes
No statutory industrial-hemp programme in territory
Code penal; Code de la sante publique; territorial agricultural legislation under Loi organique du 19 mars 1999
Hemp imports and exports require authorisation. Douanes treat Cannabis sativa material at La Tontouta International Airport (NOU) and the Port autonome de Noumea as a controlled-cannabis good under the Code penal absent specific authorisation. Finished hemp textiles and hempcrete are admitted, but live seed and unprocessed plant material are restricted.
