The Dunedin woman, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her son's identity, said she signed the petition because her 18-year-old son was addicted to the drug.
''It has destroyed our household.''
When her son smoked synthetic cannabis, he became violent and aggressive, she said.
''He's not the person I know and there's nothing I can do. It is very upsetting and I hope the Government takes notice.''
Petition organiser Carol Pine, of Mosgiel, said she and her son, David (20), and four other supporters collected about 350 signatures in about two hours.
Mrs Pine said she was proud of her son. She had been concerned people would hassle him when he attempted to collect signatures yesterday, but everybody had been supportive.
Leonore Hopkins, of Tainui, said she decided to help Mrs Pine with her crusade yesterday when her 16-year-old grandson described to her the ''terrifying'' effects from smoking synthetic cannabis once.
''We want the Government to just say no more and ban it totally.''
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said Mrs Pine's petition would be taken seriously.
''Because it represents people's genuine and often passionately held views, and I think we all want these products gone now. But I have to deal with the reality of doing it right.''
If new legislation was ''rushed'', then manufacturers could find ''loopholes a mile wide'' to manipulate, he said.
The proposed ''world-leading legislation'' would require the industry to prove its products were safe, at the industry's expense, and would be law in about three months, Mr Dunne said.
''In legislative terms, that is pretty quick ... We need to get it right and we will.''
Until then, dairy owners should ''stop putting a fast buck ahead of the communities'', he said.
