The number of people arriving at Hawke's Bay Hospital's Emergency Department with acute reactions to synthetic cannabis is falling but there is more work to be done, the head of the department says.
Dr Renee Greven-Garcia has worked in the Emergency Department (ED) for three years now and said staff noticed a spike in patients with reactions to synthetic cannabis products earlier in 2013.
"It did seem like there were a lot more patients coming in with horrible cases where they were agitated, violent, delirious."
However, she said there has been a drop since the new laws were introduced in July.
The Psychoactive Substances Act restricted the sale of the synthetic products, banning them completely from dairies and grocery stores, leaving three licensed retailers in the Hawke's Bay area.