The distinctive odour of marijuana was carried in clouds of smoke from the Turangi Police Station, across the road and into a supermarket car park.

Grocery shoppers in Turangi on Friday could have been forgiven for thinking they were extras in a Cheech and Chong movie production.

Billowing clouds of marijuana-scented smoke were wafting across from the town's police station, over the road and into the car park outside the New World supermarket.

Police bosses have apologised to the townsfolk for the accidental inundation of dope-laden vapours, which were emanating from a furnace at the police station where a recently-acquired haul of the illegal harvest was being incinerated.

However their fuming faux pas won't be forgotten for a while, thanks to video shot by a bemused passer-by.

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