Medicinal cannabis producers are looking at growing more plants and exploring different product options as regulations are being relaxed.

The government has approved changes to New Zealand's medicinal cannabis scheme, expected to make it cheaper for patients getting a prescription.

Currently, the average cost for patients' prescriptions from a pharmacy is several hundred dollars for up to a couple of months' supply.

Cabinet released the changes in July and Medsafe, which regulated medicines and medical devices, said broadening the medicinal cannabis categories meant a wider range of plants could be grown locally, and more cannabis products exported.

Acting group manager Derek Fitzgerald says changing the quality labelling requirements for exports of medicinal cannabis meant New Zealand companies could access markets more readily.

He says because New Zealand has a small population, the medicinal cannabis market is also small.

"We recognise that access to export markets is necessary to help ensure our local industry can continue to be commercially viable.

"The changes are designed to streamline and update the scheme's compliance requirements without compromising the overall quality of cannabis-based ingredients and medicinal cannabis products supplied to New Zealand patients. This will help ensure a sustainable medicinal cannabis industry in New Zealand."

He says these changes will support the medicinal cannabis industry, which is important for ensuring that products which meet the minimum quality standards can continue to be supplied to local patients.

Helius Therapeutics has a medicinal cannabis growing facility in Auckland.

Spokesman Bruce Wallace says having fewer restrictions to send their products to offshore markets is a relief as, until now, it had been a struggle as the local market was not big enough to be financially sustainable.

Bruce believes the pending improvements to the scheme will lead to more plants being grown and new companies getting licences to produce or develop products.

The Helius Cannabis factory in Auckland Photo: RNZ / Teresa Cowie.

He says having easier access to international markets will mean the price patients pay for a cannabis product should drop, as it's expensive to produce and, until now, only being allowed to sell solely on the local market meant charging higher prices.

'We would expect it to drop over time. A stronger industry means more competition, more players and a wider variety of products. We would also encourage patients to shop around, as some pharmacies charge more than others for medicinal cannabis products."

Bruce says the majority of products sold here are oral liquids, or whole flowers that patients vaporise using an approved medical device.

Cannabis products are predominately prescribed for anxiety, pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

He says Helius Therapeutics' large facility in Auckland has room to grow and expand.

"Currently the challenge is to make sure we get the exports away that will fund and drive that growth."

Bruce says their products will also be sold to researchers, who can start doing local trials with cannabis under the scheme's changes.

Medsafe says the changes to the medicinal cannabis scheme will come into effect by the end of this year.

-RNZ.