Kronic target student deliveries

Auckland City Hospital emergency department often treats one or two synthetic cannabis smokers a day. Photo / APN

A Dunedin-based mobile Kronic delivery service - believed to be the first of its kind in the country - is eyeing the lucrative student market.

The company, Kronic Xpress, has delivered fliers around the student area of Dunedin North, including the University of Otago library, advertising free home deliveries of the cannabis substitute.

The owner-operator, who declined to be named, said he had set up the delivery service after securing the product from the Auckland-based supplier.

"You have to put down quite a bit of money to make it worthwhile."

He believed the delivery service was the first of its kind in New Zealand, and might include mobile eftpos in the future.

Products range from $20 for 1.25g of the "legal weed Tropical Explosion", to $70 for 7g of "Pineapple Express", and would be available during business hours.

"We are not going to be an extreme 24-hour dairy or anything."

The university graduate confirmed students remained the "target market", and he expected business to do well following exams.

"But if there is no ID, there is no transfer of goods. It is an R18 product."

He declined to comment how much mark-up was placed on the product.

"We will probably just do it until it becomes illegal."

Police said the service was not illegal, but had to comply with the SmokeFree Environment Act.

Sergeant Chris McLellan, of the proactive policing team, said following yesterday's Otago Daily Times report he had received calls "from all over New Zealand" and Australia over the Dunedin police strategy on Kronic.

"But we have to put it into perspective. We need to have the justification and the correct intelligence ... we are not trying to create fear with the product."