Kronic shopkeepers feel the heat

Shaivani Patel and Jayee Patel (owner) of Victoria Street News Agency, Auckland CBD. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Dairy owners who stock synthetic cannabis face increasing public pressure, related criminal activity and police visits - and a number have responded by pulling the drugs from their shelves.

Many shops said regular customers had taken business elsewhere or angrily asked them why they sell drugs like Kronic.

Dunedin police said some stores had been targeted by criminals, with robbers grabbing Kronic instead of cigarettes and alcohol in one instance.

Five of the 34 synthetic cannabis retailers in Dunedin gave up stocking the drugs last week after being spoken to by police.

The Herald surveyed 67 shops in Auckland, most of them suburban dairies, and found 40 sold synthetic cannabis. Five have decided in the past month to abandon the drug.

Manhar Moti, owner of Richmond Rd Superette, has sold Kronic for four months but said hearing about its effects in the media had "definitely changed my mind, no doubt".

Ultimately it would be a financial decision, however. At present the drug was worth $400 a month in profit and he said he would consider completely pulling the product if sales fell.

But Rashmi Badel of Mt Hobson Dairy said she and her husband, Sanjay, refused to stock synthetic cannabis despite the obvious money to be made.

"We have enough drug problems in New Zealand already, and I get teenage kids coming in asking for this," Mrs Badel said.

"I know dairies that had break-ins because of it. I understand it's a good profit margin but you've got to draw the line somewhere."

Synthetic cannabis-free stores in Dunedin now display police-issued posters saying they chose not to sell.

Sergeant Chris McLellan told the Herald: "We've got clear reports of threats of violence, dishonesty such as theft and shoplifting ... and we've also had burglaries.

"We have had an aggravated robbery whereby the offenders have targeted Kronic."

A key concern was how little information dairy owners were given about the risks of synthetic cannabis.

"It's quite an aggressive marketing approach."

Matthew Wielenga, the director of LightYears, the Albany company behind Kronic, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

But Keith Marshall, the distributor of the Illusion and Amsterdam Cafe brands of synthetic cannabis, said the profit margins were difficult to ignore.

"For a dairy owner who sells milk and bread, they have to sell a heck of a lot, whereas one packet of the herbal smokes gives them quite a lot of money."

Synthetic cannabis products are barred under the Smoke Free Environments Act from being sold to anyone under 18.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said retailers selling synthetic cannabis to minors were liable for prosecution and a fine of up to $2000.

Last week, the Government announced synthetic cannabis was expected to be made a restricted substance by mid-August. It is also looking at changing laws on how potentially harmful substances can be sold as safe.

- reporting by Nicholas Jones. Additional reporting by Jeff Bell, Conor Whitten and Dedee Wirjapranata

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KRONIC HATER

Roskill Dairy, near Mt Roskill Grammar School, has decided to stop selling Kronic after the controversy it has stirred.

Dairy owner Sanjay Patel refused to display a Kronic poster while the drug was still on sale at his dairy.

"We didn't like it. There have been too many problems. No one complained in here, but I've seen it in the newspaper and on the news so I decided to stop selling it," he said.

Mr Patel, who has one daughter, was concerned that young children could get hold of the drug.

He said he only carried Kronic for about a month before removing it, but the decision had not had a big effect on profit. "It wasn't much - maybe $100 a week."

Manuka Dairy in Glenfield also stopped selling synthetic cannabis after reports of users being taken to hospital.

"We don't want to lose a good relationship with the customers," said the owner, who declined to be named.

He wondered how a product like Kronic could make it onto the market without being tested.

Synthetic products can currently be sold until proven dangerous.

But he said it shouldn't take an overdose or a death for the risks to be addressed.

"This is a multi-million dollar business," he said. "Where is the regulation?"

Meena Patel, manager of City Convenience Store on Fort St, said she used to stock Kronic but stopped after talking to police. However, it was a hard decision as they made 50 per cent profit per sale.

- reporting by Jeff Bell, Conor Whitten and Dedee Wirjapranata

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KRONIC SELLERS

Jaydee Patel says he only started to sell Kronic because the customers he turned away went to his competitors.

"People were coming in and asking for it, and I had to turn them away because I refused to sell it ... I had to start because of all the competition who were selling it."

Mr Patel, who owns Victoria St News Agency in Auckland's CBD, has tucked the product away where it is barely visible to customers.

He also said he started selling it because his rent had gone up.

"I've owned this shop for nine years and I never sold party pills or anything like that, but I was forced to start."

Mr Patel said he supported the motion to stop selling Kronic in dairies because then competitors would not be able to sell it either.

He said two young boys had recently come into his shop to buy Kronic, but he turned them away and watched them walk into another dairy across the road.

"The product has been much less popular since the media [became involved], much less popular."

Last week, a man came into Mr Patel's shop and said "shame on you, mate" when he saw that he was selling Kronic.

Adel Omush, who owns eight City Star Convenience Stores in Auckland's CBD, said his stores were selling Kronic because "it's very popular".

"It brings in a lot of customers for the business ... it's mostly overseas people who want to try the product."

Mr Omush said he had never tried Kronic because he does not smoke or drink. He said none of his stores sell to under-18s.

- reporting by Amelia Wade