Has anyone tried to sell you synthetic cannabis from a parked car? When a friend of mine walked to a shop in the Avenues last week, a couple in a car asked him if he liked ‘AK' – the appallingly-named synthetic cannabis called AK47. He said ‘No'. They told him they had some to sell. He said he wasn't interested and walked away.

My friend is an adult who shuns drugs of any kind, but what if they had made the same offer to a youngster?

The incident, timely in the face of the anti-psychoactive substances rally in Tauranga last Saturday, raises an interesting dilemma.

What exactly should we do as a community about legal highs?

Since July 2013, the Psychoactive Substances Act has regulated such products.

According to the Ministry of Health, this has resulted in a significant reduction in points of sale – a reduction of 95 per cent, with less products being available and strict controls around advertising. They are also no longer available to aged under 18. Current regulations are an interim measure until full regulations are developed.

Yet many in our community would prefer they were banned altogether. Not surprising when we hear stories of dangerous impulsivity, seizures, hallucinations, psychosis and addiction.

The dilemma is if we ban them, we may unwittingly force their use underground. There may well be a lot more sales pushing from parked cars. And if there is, there's a much greater likelihood the drugs will be unregulated, untested and sold to minors.

But if we don't ban them, do we implicitly condone them? Do we accept them as a recreational option? For the majority of people this may be fine, but for others, and their families, it will bring suffering.

Labour says strong regulation is the way to go, and I'm inclined to agree, but what do you think is best for Tauranga? Message me at www.facebook.com/racheljonesfortauranga