National Association for the Reform of Marijuana Law (NORML) spokesman Chris Fowlie says using the name ‘Te Puke Thunder' to sell a recreational drug is 'a bit cheeky”.

Convenience Marketing has introduced to market a herbal smoking product called Te Puke Thunder and Opotiki Blue to join its Tokearoa High blend.
'There's only a demand for these products because cannabis is illegal,” says Chris.

'If cannabis was legal, no-one would be consuming these products.
'It is a bit cheeky I guess, but good on them.

'No-one is really going to be confused that it is actual marijuana I think, because everybody knows that actual marijuana is illegal – unfortunately.
'There wouldn't be a market for these products if cannabis was legally available and cannabis has been around for thousands of years.
'No-one has ever died from it, it is a remarkably safe substance. More is known about cannabis than about these new substances.”
The ‘legal high' issue is not confined to New Zealand, says Chris.

Countries around the world are going through a similar debate.
'It is forcing people to consider ‘what is the point of our drug laws? And why are we banning marijuana when these other things are legal?'
'What's the point in banning the new things when other ones will pop-up. It's really showing everyone I think that prohibition is just a complete failure.
'Cannabis is illegal and it's still around. Not only is it still around, but it's spawned this industry in legal synthetic alternatives.

'The whole situation just shows you, you can try and ban things and all you do is drive it underground and encourage all these legal synthetic products.”
The new synthetic product follows on from the ‘Te Puke Thunder' made famous in the early 1970s.

This was the first popular polyploid marijuana strain developed in New Zealand. Polyploids have three or more chromosomes per cell, and therefore larger buds with higher potency.
'Te Puke thunder and these other names are real old,” says Chris.

'I think for the people who started smoking in the 60s and 70s, they used them, but nobody really has in recent times.
'The actual strain Te Puke Thunder doesn't really exist anymore.

'It was a particular type of sativa that happened to go blue in that particular frosty environment – these days it's all Dutch strains that don't do that.
'It might be around – you would probably find some old timers still growing it here and there. They might be a little peeved.”
Western Bay of Plenty District Council Deputy Mayor and Te Puke ward Councillor Paul Thomas is not impressed by the Te Puke Thunder branding of the recreational drug.
'I guess somebody is trying to make a profit out of something that should be banned in the first place,” says Paul.

'I guess tomorrow it will be Palmerston North Thunder or Warkworth Worry – it's just a selling gimmick that we can do without.”