Michael Jackson appeared "a little loopy" after visits with his longtime dermatologist, a choreographer who worked one-on-one with the pop superstar told a jury Tuesday.

A Masterton man who terrified his mother and threatened police with a Japanese samurai-style sword told presiding Judge Tom Broadmore yesterday in the Masterton District Court that K2 synthetic cannabis "twisted my mind".

Gary Read has lived the high life, but now awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Class A drug charges.

Staff at a synthetic cannabis store cowered behind a counter as hundreds of people gathered outside to protest the sale of legal highs.

Staff at a synthetic cannabis store cowered behind a counter as hundreds of people gathered outside to protest the sale of legal highs

A central Auckland dairy owner who used to sell legal highs is now so convinced of their danger that he has banned them from his store and actively warns customers who ask for them.

A reformulated version of K2 is already appearing on dairy shelves, a day after the older version of the synthetic cannabis product had to be pulled from sale.

A nationwide police crackdown on synthetic cannabis products begins today amid growing evidence of health problems and crimes linked to use of "legal highs".

New Zealand's weak laws surrounding the importation and possession of performance-enhancing drugs may contravene obligations under a global treaty.

A Whangarei man says smoking synthetic cannabis caused seizures that led to his losing his job and left him unable to drive for 12 months.

Herald reporter Steve Deane put his body on the line to find out how easy peptides are to obtain and their effect on sporting performance.

Powerful new-generation, performance-enhancing drugs are flowing into the country largely unchecked, a Herald investigation has found.

My legs feel like overcooked noodles as I wobble my way down the stairs of a North Shore gym following my first workout.

Powerful new-generation, performance-enhancing drugs are flowing into the country largely unchecked, a Herald investigation has found. Substances such as growth hormone peptides - the use of which is reportedly rife in Australian sport - can be bought online for as little as $30 and received within days. An investigation into the issue by Drug Free Sport NZ, High Performance Sport NZ and Sport NZ is about to report to Sport Minister Murray McCully that there is no evidence this country has a drug problem similar to that unearthed by the Australian Crime Commission in February.

A Kiwi hedge-fund manager who admitted serious drugs charges escaped conviction so he wouldn't lose his $365,000-a-year job.

The summer drought has considerably reduced the size and quality of the annual cannabis crop, say police.

A criminal lawyer has written to the Health Minister asking him to ban synthetic cannabis products immediately, saying they are just as dangerous as methamphetamine.

A machete, mallet and large wooden sticks were seized from dairy owners arming themselves against robbers targeting synthetic cannabis, Dunedin police allege.

The fight against the sale of synthetic cannabis in Gisborne has stepped up with the support of community leaders.

The Snoop Lion 420 Festival which was planned at the star's Hollywood Hills mansion to mark 'cannabis day' has been shut down by police.

Television presenter Phillip Schofield has admitted he was "bad at taking drugs" and once took a pair of German prostitutes for lunch instead of watching the Berlin Wall being brought down.

Police and specialists are warning of the rising use of stolen vehicles as mobile meth labs - which are sometimes returned to unsuspecting owners after being contaminated.