Some interim licences to import, manufacture, sell or research psychoactive substances have already been granted, including to applicants in Otago and Southland.
The 28-day application period for interim licensing for the products ended last week, with the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority now processing applications.
Those include 17 applications from Otago/Southland shop owners wanting to retail products, with 14 of those under consideration, while three licences have been granted.
Those successful with interim licences were Dunedin companies Kiwihigh and Funk That and Invercargill outlet Pillz & Thrillz.
Three Southern companies - based in Queenstown, Wanaka, and Invercargill - had applied for interim licences to import/manufacture/wholesale psychoactive substances.
Queenstown-based company Solution Finder Ltd was also granted an interim licence to wholesale psychoactive substances.
Nationally, 64 products with names such as Voodoo, Puff Southern Lights and Ziggy have either had their licence issued or the applications are under consideration.
Several retailers declined to comment when approached by the Otago Daily Times.
Legal High spokesman Grant Hall, of the Star Trust, said some retailers were nervous about having details posted on the Ministry of Health website.
''This transparency should give the public a little more confidence about the whole regime, because we are `out of the closet', for want of a better term.''
Product manufacturers were also now obligated to list health warnings and active ingredients on their packaging.
He noted the popularity of psychoactive products in the South Island, and that some companies were ready to import and manufacture products for the local market.
Medsafe group manager Dr Stewart Jessamine said the authority had the power to immediately remove any products that had caused confirmed harm.
The retailing of psychoactive substances from dairies had also been stopped and ''what remains is a visible and licensed market which is subject to new conditions''.
Drug Foundation director Ross Bell said a lack of information remained about some chemicals used by some of the companies.
''However, it is not a great worry as we are talking about products that have been already on the market that have apparently not caused any problems.''
Legal high companies were in the business of making money but the flip side of that was an excise tax could potentially be placed on their products, similar to alcohol and tobacco.
''Make sure the taxpayer can get their hands on some of that money, which can be then reinvested back into prevention and treatments and so on.''
Interim licences would last until the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act's regulations, which were being drawn up over the next few months, and would require all licence-holders to reapply.
