Govt will move against Kronic 'within weeks' - Dunne
The government will have the power to deal with the synthetic cannabis product Kronic within weeks, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne says.
The government will have the power to deal with the synthetic cannabis product Kronic within weeks, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne says.
He said today "strong restrictions" would be imposed when Parliament had passed the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, which is due for its second reading.
"The new legislation will enable us to develop the regulations to make Kronic a restricted substance and I have directed officials to ensure that occurs shortly after the legislation is passed," Mr Dunne said.
The product is being sold in New Zealand despite moves in several Australian states to ban it.
Kronic is marketed as "legal weed" and its creators say there have never been reports of negative side effects in the seven years it has been on the market.
However, the Australian Medical Association has said Kronic can cause severe paranoia, anxiety and panic attacks, high heart rates, agitation and restlessness.
The bill that carries the powers Mr Dunne needs still has to pass its second reading, committee and third reading stages before becoming law, a process that could be completed quickly if Parliament gives it priority.
Mr Dunne said that in the longer term the Government was going to look "very seriously" at the Law Commission's recent recommendation that the onus should be reversed and makers should have to prove their products were safe before they went on the market.
"It is horse before cart at the moment, with authorities having to prove that these products are unsafe once they are already out there," he said.
"It needs to be the other way around. They will need to prove that their products are safe or they will not be able to sell them."
Mr Dunne said the current situation couldn't go on.
"We have to wait until a product is already on the market and then authorities have to prove it is unsafe, and when we do they change an ingredient or two and we are back to square one."
NZPA
Fri, 17 Jun 2011
Fri, 17 Jun 2011
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Govt will move against Kronic 'within weeks' - Dunne
15313