KRONIC: KEEP IT OUT, SAY CLIVE RESIDENTS

Community pressure has prompted one Hawke's Bay dairy to pull
synthetic cannabis Kronic from its shelves.

But other dairies were still selling Kronic brand Pineapple Express
yesterday, banned by health authorities this week for containing a
dangerous drug.

Other synthetic cannabis products can still legally be sold but
Silver Birch Dairy in Clive stopped stocking them after requests from
customers.

Manager Kunal Mittal said residents felt strongly that the drug was
harmful to users. He felt morally obliged to take some action.

"I called my boss and I said to him, I'm not selling it, I don't care
about the job," Mr Mittal said.

"And he said to me, that's okay, it's completely up to you.

"We haven't been selling it for a few weeks now. I think that's a good thing."

He's now displaying a sign outside which said the dairy will no
longer be supplying Kronic.

Hastings Police Youth Services Sergeant Ross Stewart applauded the
efforts of the Clive community.

"Residents have the right to try and make their communities safe," he
said. "They're being proactive and it's great the dairy owners are listening."

The action was also backed by the Foundation for Youth Development Hawke's Bay.

Programme director Nic Goodman said the sale of drugs like Kronic in
places where young people shopped was concerning.

"It's putting it too much in their face."

The Kronic brand Pineapple Express was recalled on Thursday by the
Ministry of Health after being found to contain a potentially dangerous drug.

Yesterday, Hawke's Bay Today found two dairies in Napier still
selling the product.

Both said they were unaware of the recall. One dairy worker said she
was told by her son late Thursday night but had not received any
official notice.

She removed it from the shelves after being contacted by Hawke's Bay Today.

The ministry said a recall statement released to media was sufficient
notice for retailers, who did not need individual notice to remove
the product from shelves.

Hastings adult store Discretion was among retailers to remove
Pineapple Express while continuing to sell other brands.

Owner Gordon Arcus was a regular user of synthetic cannabis and
classed the effects in the same category as alcohol and tobacco.

"I don't think you'd have any dependency on it," he said.

"I can take it or leave it. It gives you a nice buzz, like a shot of
Jack Daniels would. If they ban it all they'll just drive people back
to buying from gangs."

Pineapple Express was recalled after Environmental Science and
Research found it contained a drug (phenazepam) used to treat
epilepsy, drug withdrawal and anxiety disorders.

It also contained four cannabinoids, the effects of which were unpredictable.

Emergency medicine specialist Dr Paul Gee said phenazepam was potent
and long acting.

"It has become a drug of abuse as it's not controlled in many
countries. Recreational use in combination with other drugs has
resulted in deaths."

Kronic importer Starlight Operations Limited said it was unaware of
the presence of the drug when it imported Pineapple Express and had
recalled all products immediately.

WHAT IS KRONIC?

Synthetic cannabis: A psychoactive drug that mimics cannabis.
Available here since 2009. Called Kronic in Australasia and Spice elsewhere.

Pineapple Express: A brand of Kronic recalled after found to contain
the anti-convulsive phenazepam.