Peter Dunne's visit to a Lower Hutt legal high store

In the suburb of Naenae in Lower Hutt, there are often people waiting for legal high stores to open early in the morning.

When the doors eventually open there's a constant stream of customers arriving on bikes, hidden under hoodies, and some bring their young children with them. 

And all just 10 metres away from the shopping centre playground. 

Every school day, hundreds of children pass by the legal high shop on their way to and from the railway underpass and their schools. 

Naenae locals have presented a petition to the local council to somehow get rid of the shop, and are pleading for their community back. 

In one day in the shopping centre, Campbell Live observed a diverse range of customers, including a heavily pregnant woman and underage teenagers, getting people older than 18 to go in and buy their legal highs. 

Local community worker Terry Stalworth can't believe New Zealand has invited this problem into vulnerable areas. 

Until the council finds a way to close down these legal high stores, a public space shared by children and synthetic cannabis smokers will continue to be the norm in Naenae. 

John Campbell and Peter Dunne took a visit to Naenae T, the local legal high store, to talk to the people buying synthetic cannabis and to give the minister a fresh perspective.

Watch the full report.