Police look into 'Kronic'

[Weedguru Higher]

Police look into 'Kronic'
EVAN HARDING - The Southland Times
Last updated 05:00 29/10/2010

Southland police have sought top-level advice about a cannabis substitute that is being sold in Invercargill shops and getting city schoolchildren stoned.

Southland police area commander Inspector Barry Taylor, who this week expressed concern about the product called Kronic, said yesterday he had referred the matter to police national headquarters in Wellington.

"We are taking some advice from them in respect of what the substance is and what the legalities are surrounding the substance, and if there are regulations around the sale of it."

Police national headquarters would consult with the Health Ministry about the Kronic product, he said.

Two Invercargill parents this week spoke out about the Kronic pre-rolled joints, which are on sale in numerous Invercargill shops.

The parents expressed dismay at how easily their children had got hold of the joints, with one saying her son arrived home showing "all the signs of being stoned out of his brain" after smoking Kronic.

Southland Times staff who smoked a pre-rolled Kronic joint this week reported effects ranging from getting a buzz to having tingling sensations in their lower legs to experiencing mood changes.

Matthew Wielenga, the director of Auckland based company Light Years Ahead Limited, which manufactures the Kronic products, said by email yesterday that Kronic and other similar smoking products had been on the New Zealand market for more than five years, with a significant volume being sold without any adverse reactions.

His company was concerned to hear that under-18's had been getting their hands on Kronic. Its target market was 18 plus, he said.

The company was lobbying the Government to move such products into the class D restricted substance category, which would make the age restriction a legally enforceable requirement, he added.

A 17-year-old was able to buy R18 "herbal smoking products" at two Invercargill stores yesterday.

The herbal smoking products came under the spotlight yesterday as parents voiced their concerns their under-aged children were buying the products from stores in Invercargill.

Southern Institute of Technology journalism students went out on the streets of Invercargill to see how easy it was for a 17-year-old student to buy the herbal smoking products such as Kronic and Rastas Ganja.

Four stores around the city which were thought to sell the product Kronic were approached by the student.

The student was able to complete a purchase of a 1.25gm pouch of Kronic from the Night 'n Day Foodstore on Dee St, in Gladstone, and a 2gm pouch of Rastas Ganja from Pillz & Thrillz on Dee St.

Night 'n Day Foodstore Tay St told the student Kronic was no longer available in the store and Night 'n Day Foodstore Esk St asked for identification.

Retailers can be fined $2000 if caught selling herbal smoking products to under-18s.

Pillz and Thrillz manager Royce Trounson said he "did not usually" sell to under-18s.

However, the student was not asked for identification and Mr Trounson recommended something stronger than what was asked for.

The Rastas Ganja packet which was recommended to the student cost $20 and had "R-18" written on it in two places while there was a sign in the shop saying "No ID, No sale".

Mr Trounson said he sold the product to the student because he expected under-18s to be in school uniform.

"You don't expect 17-year-olds to be walking around on a Thursday in mufti."

He said the policy that restricted the sale to under-18s was a "fair enough" policy and he was feeling "fairly foolish" for selling to a 17-year-old.

A staff member at Night 'n Day Foodstore on Dee St declined to comment when asked why a 17-year-old was able to buy Kronic at the store.

A spokesman for Rastas Ganja said the company's policy was not to sell its products to under-18-year-olds.

"All of our products clearly have R18 written on them."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4 ... nto-Kronic

[sugarstalker]

obviously the store employees selling it to minors are idiots, but the problem here isn't the substance, but rather the stores and the under 18 clients buying it.

[AbbyRoad]

ive smoked Kronic before
i didnt buy it or anything tho.
i was at a friends house during a dry spell and her older bf ofered me some of his Kronic joint.
i didnt really feel much of anything tbh. but the water in the pool did feel pretty trippy