Hawke's Bay hosted a meeting of minds to gauge the scope of the harmful effects of legal highs on New Zealand communities.
The seminar was attended by local politicians and representatives from further afield, who discussed the ways communities around the country had been affected by synthetic cannabis.
Legal Highs Seminar organiser and former rugby league player Kevin Tamati said the breakfast seminar, hosted by EIT Hawke's Bay, "went down extremely well".
Ngati Kahungunu Iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana gave a perspective from iwi on how the issue of legal highs related to Maoridom.
"He [Mr Tomoana] called for immediate action from the people, rather than waiting for the Government to do something," Mr Tamati said.
Representatives from Community Action Youth and Drugs sites in Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington and Whanganui attended the seminar, which aimed to measure the problem effects of legal highs on a national scale. "In terms of the interest in legal highs that was shown by all the different groups, it was excellent," Mr Tamati said.
The Napier and Hastings mayors also attended and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne joined the seminar via the internet.
Napier Mayor Bill Dalton said the seminar was "an excellent entertaining of ideas".
The mayors shared the same outlook on legal highs, Mr Dalton said. He and Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule had differed on local issues such as amalgamation, but not on this one, he said.
"Lawrence and I share similar attitudes. If we had our way, we would close [stores selling synthetic cannabis] down immediately."
Mr Dalton clashed with Mr Dunne over the issue of legal-high regulation on TVNZ's Seven Sharp this week.
Mr Dunne had offered "more puffery," at yesterday's seminar, Mr Dalton said.
"It was bluff and bluster. Minister Dunne's comments added nothing to the debate," he said.
Mr Dunne could not be reached for comment.