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  Bend Cracks Down on Bong Sales
Posted by FoM on August 17, 2001 at 08:24:40 PT
By Anne Aurand, The Bulletin  
Source: Bulletin 

paraphernalia As of Wednesday night, is no longer legal to sell bongs, pipes and other drug paraphernalia in Bend.

The Bend City Council repealed a city law that pertained to the licensing of any “accessory or thing which is designed or marketed for use with illegal cannabis or drugs” after Councilor John Hummel noticed that the city had regulated a practice that was illegal by state standards.

We were, in essence, allowing something that’s illegal,” Hummel said.

The law was repealed by unanimous council consent.

In 1984, the city adopted a law that sought to regulate paraphernalia sales through licensing and record keeping. Anyone who wanted to operate a head shop could do so if they registered and paid a fee at City Hall.

In the 1980s, pipe shops proliferated in the city, said Bend attorney Jim Forbes.

In exchange for the ability to sell the goods, shop keepers had to record the names and addresses of who bought pipes or other drug-related items. The books were to be made available to police on request.

In 1989, the state of Oregon adopted a law that said selling paraphernalia was a crime — but permits were still being issued for businesses in Bend.

Last January, someone applied for a permit to sell paraphernalia, said Forbes. That permit led the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team to the seller, who was eventually arrested for selling drugs.

But the dealer had a city-issued, legal permit to sell paraphernalia, Hummel noted.

Hummel discovered the obsolete law during a regular fee review. Forbes called him “sharp-eyed” for finding the discrepancy.

Hummel said simply: “The city shouldn’t be issuing licenses to do something that’s illegal.”

Source: Bulletin, The (OR)
Author: Anne Aurand, The Bulletin
Published: August 16, 2001
Copyright: 2001 Western Communications Inc.
Contact: bulletin@bendbulletin.com
Website: http://www.bendbulletin.com/

Related Articles:

Drug Paraphernalia or Tobacco Pipes?
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9304.shtml

Cops Raid Shops for 'Paraphernalia'
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9065.shtml


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Comment #6 posted by Rambler on August 19, 2001 at 17:01:58 PT
Midwestern?
Sam,Bend is western hicks.I believe Oregon would qualify as West.
But nonetheless,your comment was good.


[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on August 19, 2001 at 16:30:55 PT
HA HA HA HA HA
Can you say "E-commerce" you dumb Midwestern hicks?

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Comment #4 posted by mayan on August 19, 2001 at 15:23:15 PT
Their Loss!
So now people will just make their own bongs or travel elsewhere to get smoking accessories. Bend will lose out on tax revenue & the people will still have their bongs! The Bend City Council is stacked with idiots!

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on August 17, 2001 at 11:35:42 PT:

Names
yes, the record books are no doubt full of names like:

Michael E. Mouse, G. O. Ofey, I.M. Dumbjohn, Noah Bodee, Mr. and Mrs Publick, M. Y. O. Biz, Yuck Foo, and sundry other good American names. Sheez.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by FoM on August 17, 2001 at 09:46:39 PT
My 2 cents
In my state it is far better to get caught with a couple of ounces of Marijuana then Paraphernalia. I think papers won't be outlawed because people roll their own cigarettes and so far tobacco is still legal.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #1 posted by Doug on August 17, 2001 at 09:28:54 PT
When Bongs Are Outlawed...
only outlaws will have bongs. And look at all the damage a bong can do. We've all read newspaper articles about madmen who burst into schools and blow everyone away with their bong. Or disgruntled postal employees who reek havoc with their pipes.

I would think that the police would want these head shops to stay open, since they have the names of all people who buy a bong, in case the police want to round them up and send them to the camps. I was unaware that this record keeping took place, and it is even more frightening than the fact that these shops are now illegal. But they still need to require that everyone who buys rolling papers be registered with the police. Perhaps they should be forced to wear some insignia -- such as the zigzag man or Towelie -- so they can be readily identified and spat upon.



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