Tommy Chong (of Cheech and Chong)was convicted for possessing and selling drug paraphenalia. He faces up to a $250,000.00 fine and up to five years in prison. He had in his possession/selling bongs with his name and picture on them.

What bothers me about the "drug paraphenalia law" is that to me you are being convicted on the basis that you "may" do something. To me, the law presupposses that if you possess "drug paraphenalia" you will, (the law assumes) as a matter of course use illegal drugs. The law does not take into account the fact people use things for many different things rather than their intended purpose.

Does this law bother anybody else? Does anybody else think this is unfair?

Just for the record, I do not use drugs, so I don't have an agenda here.

[ 05-14-2003, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: Reeka ]

I think it's wrong, totally wrong. And the amount of money he has to pay doesn't make any sense at all.

I don't smoke dope or anything else, but I feel like this is way too much. It's a celeb item, for crying out loud. I really wish they would legalize marijuana, and stick to watching heroin and cocaine.

Agreed, Attalus. Heck, the only reason I don't do it still is (a) it is illegal + (b) my profession sorta assumes, well, that I won't. It is less harmful than alcohol or cigs. As a friend once eloquently put it, the worst thing about a nation full of stoners is no one would be able to find their car keys.

*Best Geraldo impersonation* When asked whether they had probable cause to search Mr. Chong, police officers replied, "Well, he's Tommy Chong." :D :D :D

It kinda beats me why they don't legalise it. I mean, it's an untapped source of taxable income. EDIT : What crap wording. What I meant was : It's an untapped source of government revenue. If it pulled in the same amount of tax over here as cigarettes did, we wouldn't have to integrate into Europe - we could buy it! ;)

I guess it's the fact that there is a strong conservative element in America, just as over here, that is haunted by the fact that someone, somewhere, may be having fun. ;)

[ 05-14-2003, 07:36 PM: Message edited by: Bardan the Slayer ]

One day they will smarten up. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

No offence, guys, but I wanted to address the drug paraphenalia thing--not the legalizing marijuan---that is another topic. Attalus, exactly, a celeb item. Ridiculous.

Since when has it been illegal to buy or sell a bong?

Ever since Mr. John Ashcroft and the other ultra-conservative Bush people took power they have taken enourmous steps to entrench us further into the drug war. They have targeted marijuana more maliciously than Clinton did, and he set new records of arrests.

[ 05-14-2003, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

Ever since Mr. John ashcroft and the other ultra-conservative Bush people took power they have taken enourmous steps to entrench us further into the drug war. They have targeted marijuana more maliciously than Clinton did, and he set new records off arrests. </font>[/QUOTE]Woa thats crazy man i never knew that.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in541755.shtml

Here a link to a news story about a series of raids on head shops and e-sellers that occured just last Feburary. Raids like these have not occured since the founding days of the drug war in the 1970's.

The worst thing about a nation of potheads is that when it is made illegal and their basic liberty to do what they like is infringed upon, very few of them actually do anything about it. Thats far worst than losing you car keys in my opinion. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Well, the best thing that could happen out of Chong's arrest is a little more exposure on how senseless and futile the war on drugs has been.

These raids, the Farce of the Ed Rosenthal trial in California, and now Tommy Chong's arrest all in the last few months is not a sign of good things to come.

When they caught him he should have just said "Daves Not Here Man" and they would have gone away. :D

Tommy Chong involved with drugs :eek: he will never work in Hollywood again, or become president [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img]

On topic: - It sounds like the anti drug lobby trying to put the 'war on drugs' campaign back into the national spotlight. So watch out every celebrity and politician for the next year. Does anybody here not believe that the 'war on drugs' has been a complete and utter embarrassing failure and it is about time they took a different course of action?

Yes they should start to target more harmful drugs more then pot. Getting tired of the damn anti pot commericals on tv.

Sorry Reeka man but what else would you use a bong for yo?

However it is Tommy Chongs character being merchandised, so why should people have a problem? its like Hank Marvin promoting custom guitars.

[ 05-14-2003, 11:14 PM: Message edited by: Madman-Rogovich ]

Sorry Reeka man but what else would you use a bong for yo?

However it is Tommy Chongs character being merchandised, so why should people have a problem? its like Hank Marvin promoting custom guitars. </font>[/QUOTE]I think it would make an attractive and interesting flower vase or an unusual lamp. ;)

Sorry Reeka man but what else would you use a bong for yo?

However it is Tommy Chongs character being merchandised, so why should people have a problem? its like Hank Marvin promoting custom guitars. </font>[/QUOTE]Which is a good point, you might want to buy one for a decoration or amusement. The act of owning or being in possession of a bong does not always mean you are taking drugs. Unless drugs where found, how can they seriously charge him. Would this stand up in a supreme court rather than a local court?

If an actor on stage in Hollywood was using *pretend* a bong on stage, would that make him a criminal? :eek:

It would in "the war on drugs". Think of it as a weapon. :D

But seriously man how many people do you know who own ornamental bongs?

I have one, and i never use it. Only times it's being used is when a few friends of mine are here. Someone gave it me as a birthdaypresent a couple of years ago.

Yeah but its still seen some usage tho

AFAIK, whether or not "water pipes" such as bongs are illegal is regulated at the state level. The legality changes from state to state. Pot doesn't become a federal issue unless it's a LOT or unless it's crossing state lines in trafficing. I don't thing paraphanelia is regulated at the federal level at all. Which is why head shops exist in some places quite legally -- so long as they're not doing other illegal things like selling the goods.

And, an online head shop is putting itself at the mercy of the laws of any state it transacts business in -- so that's how they get nicked.

You can buy bongs, chopping and sniffing kits, weed grinders, no problem over here, nothing illegal in those items. Addicts can get syringes free of charge too.

The law as it stands in the US is crazy imho. Where do you draw the line at what is for drug use and what isn't? H users sometimes heat their gear up on a spoon with a match. Does that therefore make spoons and matches drug paraphanalia?

Surely if you're going to nick the bloke for owning a bong you need to nick the manafacturer/supplier of said bong (providing it's not home made). How about cigarette papers? Lots of people like to roll their own cigarettes, lots of people like to roll joints using the same cigarette papers. How can that be properly policed?

A crazy law imho....

EDIT...And I know at least half a dozen people that own bongs that are just for decoration.

Not this bloke though... :D

http://members.lycos.co.uk/charliefromlondon/BONG.jpg

This'd give the US police a heart attack. :D

[ 05-15-2003, 01:40 PM: Message edited by: Charlie ]

Hm.. there was an interesting show about an American growing Cannabis (I think it was Cannabis) for the Dutch government. [img]graemlins/bonghit.gif[/img] He needs the stuff because some rare disease causes him to grow blind, and Cannabis is the only thing that can slow it down. He used to grow it in the good old US of A and spend several years in jail because of it. Fortunatly for him, he was hired to preform an experiment for my government...
Long live the Netherlands.. land of the free [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

Interestingly enough, many bongs are advertised and sold a incense-fog devices in the US. If you light incense and put it on top of a bong containing ice, apparently the incense smoke will fall into the bong and roll out of the stem, where it will drift over a table or some junk. It's tongue-in-cheek BS. Oh, and from what I hear it ruins the device regarding some of its... other... uses.

ROFL

Jeeze louise! :D