New Zealand bans 'legal weed'

New Zealand's parliament has voted to ban the sale of 43 products designed to mimic the effects of smoking marijuana.

The one-year ban covers "legal weed" products such as the popular Kronic that are designed to make users experience a high.

From next week stores will have seven days to remove the products from their shelves.

Associate health minister Peter Dunne said: "These products are generally untested and we do not know the long-term effects of their use."

But critics say the ban is an overreaction to products that have been available for years and could force people to use the black market.