Synthetic cannabis product K2 remains for sale in Dunedin,
despite a temporary ban on one of its ingredients, which took
effect yesterday.
There was no way retailers and consumers of K2 could know
whether what they sold or bought contained the banned
substance, those in the industry told the Otago Daily Times.
A Dunedin retailer, who refused to give her name, said she
had to trust that manufacturers of the product had stopped
using the banned ingredient known as EAM-2201.
K2 packets did not contain ingredient lists, serial or batch
numbers, bar codes or any other information about when, and
with what, the product was made.
The retailer said she had sold out of K2 when the ingredient
ban was announced last week and her subsequent order from the
manufacturer for new product arrived yesterday.
She said the ban had not stopped people from buying K2 and
other synthetic cannabis products.
Another central Dunedin retailer spoken to by the ODT
yesterday said everything sold in his shop, including K2, was
legal.
The ingredient ban had not made a difference in respect of K2
being sold, he said.
The retailer, who did not want to be identified, said the
''new recipe'' for K2 had been around for ''some time'' and
the product was tested by manufacturers.
One Dunedin dairy owner said they used to sell K2 in small
amounts but stopped stocking the product this week because of
the ban.
Another dairy manager said she had never sold K2 and was not
about to start.
Sergeant Chris McLellan, of the Dunedin proactive policing
team, said the ban did nothing to reduce the risk of K2 and
other synthetic cannabis products.
Recorded effects included vomiting, agitation, drowsiness,
psychosis, hallucinations, headache, seizures and tremors.
Sgt McLellan said ''everybody'' from police to health workers
had concerns about synthetic cannabis products, especially
because there was no way of knowing whether they still
contained banned substances.
''Unfortunately, K2 is still for sale and there is no way of
distinguishing between new and old product. The question is,
why aren't the manufacturers putting on the product what it
actually contains, and the answer is, they don't want to,''
he said.
Sgt McLellan said he had talked to some Dunedin retailers who
were holding outdated K2.
''They are concerned there has been no recall of the product
by the manufacturer, who has implied that they changed the
product a month ago. But without factual or evidential proof
of that the retailers don't know what they are selling, and
consumers don't know what they are buying,'' he said.
The 12-month ban on EAM-2201 was prompted by reports of bad
side-effects among users in Otago and Southland.
A permanent psychoactive substances regime, due to be
implemented next year, would require manufacturers and
distributors to prove their products were safe before they
could be sold.
To date 50 substances found in 30 products had been banned.
Anyone importing, making or supplying banned substances faces
up to eight years in jail.
rosie.manins@odt.co.nz
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