Pill testing at festivals will be carried out over the summer period, with research to be gathered to see whether it saves lives.
The Government is bringing in Victoria University criminologists to monitor pill testing this summer, with legalisation possibly following if the evidence backs it up.
Police Minister Stuart Nash believed it could save lives but told 1 NEWS in October he had failed to legalise drug testing before summer because of New Zealand First’s opposition.
NZ First law and order spokesperson Darroch Ball said at the time drug testing could legitimise and encourage drug use .
The Government is now going to hire researchers to go to festivals and talk to people about pill testing - which tells drug users what is actually in the pill.
Mr Nash said pill testing was a "grey area" of the law and potentially illegal.
"We want to ensure that if the evidence shows that this is keeping people safe then they can do whatever they want to do, completely legally."
"If we're asking people, especially MPs to change the law, we want to get the New Zealand public on side, then we felt it was wise to do it in a New Zealand context."
Green Party's Chlöe Swarbrick said it was "common sense and well overdue".
"The Greens always want to go further and faster and there is stacks of international evidence that shows us that this is the best way to reduce harm."
The drug checking group called Know You Stuff tested more than 800 pills last summer, with many party goers destroying the drugs in a jar of bleach that did not contain what they originally thought.
Know Your Stuff's Jez Weston welcomed the trial, saying testing could change people's behaviour to drugs, "making them more respectful of what can be a very dangerous thing".
"If we're asking people, especially MPs to change the law, we want to get the New Zealand public on side, then we felt it was wise to do it in a New Zealand context.
Drug Foundation's Ross Bell said if it costs "a $60,000 research programme to convince those people in power that this is the right thing to do, and that the law needs to change to allow this to happen then I think that's money well spent".
Health Minister Dr David Clark said they "know recreational drug use is common at music festivals, despite it being illegal".
"There’s no way to make illegal drug use completely safe – all drugs come with risk. But we can and must reduce harm wherever possible."
In October, a 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll showed 75% believed festival-goers should be able to get their drugs tested legally, 19% were against and 6% either did not know or refused to answer.
The groups of people who were more likely than average to believe testing should be legal were Green and Labour Party supporters and women aged 18-54.
The groups more likely than average to be against legalised drug testing at festivals were men over 55 and National Party supporters.
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