PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Crack-Down on Pittsburgh Head Shops, Customers Arrested
by Captain Trips Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2003 at 2:13 AM

DEA Cracks Down on Local Head Shops, Arrests Customers

You can inhale arsenic-laced tobacco, but don't even think about taking a water-purified puff of Mary Jane. Such is the federal government's position on traditional "head shop" items such as pipes, bongs, and the like. While many customers of establishments such as Telaropa in Oakland are under the impression that it is legal for a store to sell paraphinalia such as pipes and water pipes, often called "bongs" (so long as they have another, legal, purpose, e.g., smoking tobacco), federal law makes this illegal (and brings sellers under harsh federal racketeering or RICO laws).

Not only are these items illegal to sell, but they may be illegal to buy or attempt to buy. The casual shopper should beware. Many customers were recently apprehended in raids in the greater area of Pittsburgh (and while being detained, were subject to searches which revealed additional incriminating evidence). Not only are unassuming customers being arrested, but credit card information has been taken from these stores, no doubt to be used to trace, track, and apprehend consumers. A large percentage of federal indictments under this current DEA operation have been handed-out in Pittsburgh, giving young folks yet another reason to be proud of their city.


Here is a link to federal law, though I could not find any penalties for attempting to purchase or otherwise possess. Perhaps something about how the paraphinalia will be transported (crossing state lines??). There are limits to what the federal government can make illegal, other than the traditional Bill of Rights.

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/21/863.html


Here is a link to a very recent Post-Gazette article on the raids:

http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030226headshops0226p1.asp

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