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Ban on Synthetic Cannabis

Christchurch dairy owners are rushing to offload their K2 stock before a substance ban comes into effect at midnight – including two caught by police selling to someone under age.

Sergeant Bevan Seal said diaries were offering discounts on the normal $20 price – including $15 a packet or two for $25 deals.

The ban on two substances found in K2 was announced by Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne last week.

Anyone selling the products after midnight tonight can be criminally prosecuted for possession and distribution of a class C drug.

Seal said if convicted, the offence could result in imprisonment.

He said police would be actively enforcing the ban.

Officers had been in regular contact with dairy owners explaining the harmful effects of synthetic cannabis, reminding them it was illegal to sell to under 18s and warning them about the impending ban.

One dairy owner spoken to by The Press said he had been told by K2 distributors to ”get rid of it”.

He was offering two packets for $35. Any left over at midnight would go in the bin.

Police ran a controlled purchase operation ahead of tonight’s ban to see if dairies were asking customers for proof of their age.

A 17-year-old visited eight city dairies last night asking to be sold synthetic cannabis.

He was refused service at six dairies. Two failed to ask for ID and sold him packets of K2.

Seal said those two dairies would face fines of up to $500 each for the offence under the smokefree legislation.

”The first didn’t want to give us an explanation. The second told us he knew it was illegal but sold it anyway.

“We’ve been pushing the message. Unfortunately a few dairies have been slow in picking it up.”