Herbal high and tobacco specialists Brew-worx and Tabacconist opened on Beach St at the beginning of June and, according to owner Brendan Cameron, they are providing the synthetic cannabis product for a growing market.
"There's a market for it and we are just catering to that market," Mr Cameron said.
The seven-week-old store competes with at least one local dairy and three liquor stores that sell the product in Queenstown.
Kronic has been brought to the attention of Wakatipu High School Board of Trustees, and the Otago Daily Times was told recently the schol would hold an educational forum on the legal high.
"We are certainly aware of its existence. It's one of those things that's on your alert list as a board," said chairman Alastair Nicholson.
Mr Nicholson said the school had had two incidents in the past 18 months involving pupils using Kronic.
Police sergeant Keith Newell echoed the school's concern over Kronic being distributed to those under the legal age.
He said there was a strong indication use had increased over the past month, as several alcohol-related arrests had also involved Kronic.
"I believe it is pretty rife at our local high school. There are a lot of young kids using it."
Sgt Newell said close to 100% of weekend incidents were alcohol-fuelled, but Kronic added to police problems from Thursday night until Sunday morning.
He said the biggest issue the police had with Kronic was mixing it with alcohol and he would like to see the product banned from liquor stores.
"It's up to the lawmakers and if they think it's going to be a nuisance, it is up to them to do something about it."
Police would be pushing for Kronic to be taken off the shelves of alcohol stores, he said.
Betty's Liquor store owner and leader of the Good Group, Russell Grey, said there was no need to take such action. His staff were trained to sell age-restrictive products.
"We actually support the Government's crackdown on it, making it a restricted product, as we believe the best place to sell it is a place that's used to selling these products."
He said he would be awaiting the outcome of Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne's proposed legislation and from there, he would take action. He was clear that if the product remained legal to sell, he would sell it.
"We don't see it as any different from alcohol or tobacco. You have to be over 18 to purchase any of them and if you are at the legal age, you have that choice."
Mr Cameron agreed that selling Kronic was a matter of giving customers choice.
One huge push for him and other stockists was Kronic's large mark-up compared with that of tobacco. While tobacco earns 10% for the store owners, Kronic earns 30%, which gives store owners the incentive to sell.
"Nothing you smoke is safe. You've got to be real here," Mr Cameron said.
