Dunne: Kronic clamp-down in weeks

Photo / Brett Phibbs

A legislative clamp-down on synthetic cannabis products is just weeks away, associate health minister Peter Dunne says.

Mr Dunne said amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, currently in its second reading, would be the first item of business at Parliament's next session.

The changes would clamp down on synthetic cannabis products as a stop-gap measure until the Government can legislate to reverse the onus of proof and make the industry prove its products are safe before they can be sold.

Currently, products must be proved unsafe before they are pulled off shelves.

That happened most recently when the popular synthetic cannabis product Kronic was banned by the Director General of Health because it contained the prescription medicine phenazepam.

Speaking last night at the second reading of the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, Mr Dunne said the Government backed the Law Commission's proposal to change the onus of proof.

He said the synthetic cannabis industry had been consistently irresponsible and the Government would "comprehensively and once and for all fix this situation".

"I have been working on stronger additional amendments...that will be introduced by way of supplementary order paper before the committee stage," Mr Dunne said.

The bill would also restrict the availability of the main precursors used to make methamphetamine by reclassifying ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as Class B2 drugs.

That would remove their over-the-counter availability and make them prescription-only medicines, and increase the powers of police and Customs to clamp down on supply.

"This cannot wait. Methamphetamine is the only illegal stimulant drug commonly manufactured in our country, and we have high rates of use by international standards," Mr Dunne said.

- NZPA