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City News

All Your Bong Are Belong To U.S.

By Dennis Romero, Thursday, Nov. 19 2009 @ 5:10PM
Comments (10)
Categories: community, crime, odd news

Picture 005.jpg
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Let me see that bong ba-bong bong bong.
​
The man cannot be fooled: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced Thursday they seized a bong-load of paraphernalia that was shipped to the U.S. from China disguised as holiday ornaments.

The goods were described as "glass figures and Christmas ornaments," but, as a statement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency reads, "The highly decorated glass pipes did not fool CBP officials." Did you hear that stoners? The feds roll ninja style, so don't even try.

But get this: The seizure was estimated to be worth $2.6 million. That's 860 boxes containing 316,068 fine Chinese bongs shipped by sea. Do you really smoke that much weed, America? And answer me this: Does anyone roll a joint anymore? Or is that like asking if you still use dial-up?

The feds say it's illegal to export such glass finery to the United States, and they add that it's also against the law to sell it (ask Tommy Chong). But as any stroll down Melrose Avenue or Hollywood Boulevard will make apparent, enforcement is spotty at best. So exhale.

Tags:

bongs, drug paraphernalia, port of Long Beach, port of Los Angeles, Tommy Chong, U.S. CPB, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Comments (10) Write Comment
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More About:

  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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  • Border Control and Customs
  • Politics

Comments (10)

XPX says:

Yes people roll joints... no it is not illegal to sell water pipes.

Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 19 2009 @ 5:34PM
sally says:


What's Dialup?

Yeah. Well. I mean its a recession, we can't all afford a day-long splif. And why don't the police leave the small businesses alone? Don't they know they have just eliminated twenty jobs? Yeah. The Jobs, man.
You have just cancelled-out a load of jobs.
Yeah, also, why not look at the bong find and answer the question, do we really smoke so much pot?

Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 19 2009 @ 9:44PM
Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ says:

They'll get my rolling papers when they pry 'em from my cold, dead, sticky fingers.

Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 19 2009 @ 10:29PM
Moriah says:

If I wanted to die even sooner, I'd roll joints. Otherwise, it's bong only. One day hope to grad to those no smoke thingies. Ohhh, look at the pot head not using proper grammar and punctuation.. skin me!

Posted On: Friday, Nov. 20 2009 @ 12:13PM
mongo lloyd says:

is the guy who titled this article stoned? what ever, labeling us as stoners, try intelligent recreationists, you square. The heat in a joint is over 1100 degrees F. That will burn body tissue, lung tissue as well. The bong, or water pipe allows the user to cool the smoke so it doesn't hit your body and singe your tissue. Its time you square's found out the truth, just us smokers are unable to say this for fear of prosecution. Bush was a real Ahole about this. Who is the federal government to tell me i can't make art? I make glass pipes, with flowers and lizards, and other things, we have cultivated a social population of art enthusiasts, and the chinese imports are putting us americans out of work. Face the facts, the glass business is billion dollar industry a year. why are we letting china take all of our buisness? This was an american art originally and now we are out of business to the chinese, the indians, and the mexicans are all cheap labor hurting my business forcing me to find other means of survival other then art. Please help us, not criticize us. Be intelligent, not ignorant.
thanks

Posted On: Friday, Nov. 20 2009 @ 12:24PM
The Law says:

Title 21 United States Code (USC)
Controlled Substances Act
Section 863. Drug Paraphernalia

(a) In general

It is unlawful for any person --

(1) to sell or offer for sale drug paraphernalia;

(2) to use the mails or any other facility of interstate commerce to transport drug paraphernalia; or

(3) to import or export drug paraphernalia.

(b) Penalties

Anyone convicted of an offense under subsection (a) of this section shall be imprisoned for not more than three years and fined under Title 18.

(c) Seizure and forfeiture

Any drug paraphernalia involved in any violation of subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture upon the conviction of a person for such violation. Any such paraphernalia shall be delivered to the Administrator of General Services, General Services Administration, who may order such paraphernalia destroyed or may authorize its use for law enforcement or educational purposes by Federal, State, or local authorities.

(d) "Drug Paraphernalia" defined

The term "drug paraphernalia" means any equipment, product, or material of any kind which is primarily intended or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, concealing, producing, processing, preparing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance, possession of which is unlawful under this subchapter. It includes items primarily intended or designed for use in ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing marijuana,\1\ cocaine, hashish, hashish oil, PCP, methamphetamine, or amphetamines into the human body, such as --

\1\ So in original. Probably should be "marihuana,''.

(1) metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, or ceramic pipes with or without screens, permanent screens, hashish heads, or punctured metal bowls;

(2) water pipes;

(3) carburetion tubes and devices;

(4) smoking and carburetion masks;

(5) roach clips: meaning objects used to hold burning material, such as a marihuana cigarette, that has become too small or too short to be held in the hand;

(6) miniature spoons with level capacities of one-tenth cubic centimeter or less;

(7) chamber pipes;

(8) carburetor pipes;

(9) electric pipes;

(10) air-driven pipes;

(11) chillums;

(12) bongs;

(13) ice pipes or chillers;

(14) wired cigarette papers; or

(15) cocaine freebase kits.

(e) Matters considered in determination of what constitutes drug paraphernalia

In determining whether an item constitutes drug paraphernalia, in addition to all other logically relevant factors, the following may be considered:

(1) instructions, oral or written, provided with the item concerning its use;

(2) descriptive materials accompanying the item which explain or depict its use;

(3) national and local advertising concerning its use;

(4) the manner in which the item is displayed for sale;

(5) whether the owner, or anyone in control of the item, is a legitimate supplier of like or related items to the community, such as a licensed distributor or dealer of tobacco products;

(6) direct or circumstantial evidence of the ratio of sales of the item(s) to the total sales of the business enterprise;

(7) the existence and scope of legitimate uses of the item in the community; and

(8) expert testimony concerning its use.

(f) Exemptions

This section shall not apply to --

(1) any person authorized by local, State, or Federal law to manufacture, possess, or distribute such items; or

(2) any item that, in the normal lawful course of business, is imported, exported, transported, or sold through the mail or by any other means, and traditionally intended for use with tobacco products, including any pipe, paper, or accessory.

Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 22 2009 @ 4:32AM
No wonder print is dying says:

Where did you get your facts for this article LMAO. Shoddy journalism at best.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 1:07PM
Derek says:

It just amazes me every day there is someone trying to over turn the turn sway of the american vote. It is fast on its way to being legal, but the only thing stopping it false journalism and the stupid pigs who want to keep their jobs, well you can keep your jobs go for the crack heads.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 24 2009 @ 4:32AM
hp computer repair says:

I thought you would want to know that this site does not display right on my mobile (iphone).

Posted On: Thursday, Dec. 17 2009 @ 6:15PM
Free iPhone says:

There is obviously a lot to know about this.

Posted On: Monday, Jan. 18 2010 @ 1:49PM

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