While in the Dunedin Youth Court, Judge Becroft was asked to include a specific bail condition ordering the defendant not to consume Kronic.
"I felt a little naive and behind the 8-ball, when I said do you mean 'C.H.R.O.N.I.C'?
Do you mean he is a long-term heavy drug user?"
When told it was an over-the-counter product, Judge Becroft, said "to be honest, I haven't heard of it".
"I would like to think in my role as the principal Youth Court judge I am up with the trends."
He has since been told Kronic is a synthetic substitute for cannabis "that for some young people, can be worse".
While in Dunedin, he visited a drug and alcohol counselling service for teenagers with significant dependency issues, and found many of the youths were regular users of Kronic because they "won't get busted".
He was also told of a dairy where a youth preferred to buy his product. The same store was known by students of a University of Otago Law School class.
Accompanied by Prof Geoff Hall, he went to the dairy to make a "controlled Kronic purchase".
He found the product range displayed behind the counter, and was told by the shop assistant his choice of "Pineapple Express" was the most popular variety.
Even though a large amount of Kronic was on display, he was told it would be "gone in a day", and users had told of bad experiences.
"It was in one sense frighteningly easy and straightforward, like buying a newspaper or a litre a milk."
His Kronic remains in his wallet "unsmoked".
Judge Becroft said he was impressed by how the Dunedin youth justice community was aware of the issue by raising their concern over Kronic.
"I was told there was a clear link between the use of Kronic and reoffending, and for one thing it sold for $20, which is the same price as a cannabis tinny."
He saw his role as highlighting and raising any issues of concern, but not to suggest any responses.
However, those in the youth justice system would like to see more research on Kronic.
"The harm that it may or not cause everybody seems to be a little uncertain as to that and I would like to know what extent it is considered to be better or worse than the cannabis it is explicably designed to replace."
There would always be new substances that appealed to youth, and it was important communities were aware of trends, but in regard to Kronic "we aren't on top of it or ahead of it ... we are behind it".
"My role is to raise issues that I see of national concern. It just so happened Dunedin was the clear area where the issue was first raised."
The classification of synthetic cannabinomimetics as a restricted substance is expected to come into effect next year.
