US Cracks Down on Illegal Drug Paraphernalia Sales; Ashroft said a billion-dollar industry

Reuters ^

[RCW2001]

Feb. 24 — By Deborah Charles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorney General John Ashcroft on Monday announced 55 people have been charged with trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia as part of a nationwide crackdown.

Ashcroft said selling drug paraphernalia is a billion-dollar industry and sales have skyrocketed through purchases over the Internet.

Of 17 indictments returned in the investigation, ten are against national distributors of drug paraphernalia and seven involve businesses located in Western Pennsylvania, he told a Justice Department news conference.

Ashcroft said drug paraphernalia sales had soared with the advent of the Internet, which allows easy access to anyone with a computer.

"In homes across America we know that children and young adults are the fastest-growing population of Internet users," he said. "The illegal drug paraphernalia industry has invaded the homes of families across the country without the knowledge of those families."

The defendants have been charged with conspiracy to sell and offering to sell various types of drug paraphernalia. The equipment includes miniature scales, substances for diluting raw narcotics, bongs, marijuana pipes, roach clips and cocaine freebase kits.

Ashcroft said the defendants are alleged to have knowingly and intentionally sold the items for use with illegal narcotics. Many of the items were disguised as common objects like lipsticks or hi-lighter pens, used by students to elude detection as drug paraphernalia.

The defendants face a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Officials said two investigations had put 11 illicit dotcom companies out of business. John Brown, acting chief of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said, "There are 11 dotcoms that are dot-gone."

He said sellers of drug paraphernalia were just as responsible as others for the illegal drug trade. "They are as much a part of drug trafficking as silencers are a part of criminal homicide," Brown said.

Ashcroft said a number of Web sites involving the drug paraphernalia have been changed so people who attempt to access them will instead get the Web page of the DEA and will learn that the site has been restrained under court order.

He said the government would seek a court order to do the same thing for an additional 15 or 20 Web sites over the next 30 days.

[PhiKapMom]

Way to go Ashcroft! Am sick and tired of the drug culture in America!

[Shermy]

Related:

Authorities Raid Tommy Chong Business

[MrLeRoy]

Am sick and tired of the drug culture in America!

And that's sufficient reason for criminalizing a consensual act---that you're "sick and tired" of it?

[kegler4]

What a joke. I can just see it now -- "Geez, I can't buy a bong from Bongs R Us any more so I guess I'll just have to stop smoking the stuff." Right.

[Redcloak]

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I'll certainly sleep sounder tonight knowing that the "roach clip threat" has been diminished.

[PhiKapMom]

Actually when druggies use emergency facilities because of drug overdoses over and over again they are costing me money on my health insurance.

It is against the law -- get over it!

[kegler4]

Don't you know that every pack of rolling papers is funding a terrorist?

[Redcloak]

...and it's even worse if you drive your SUV to the head shop!

[taxed2death]

I'd like to have a little of whatever Ashcroft is smokin'.


Let's see...at least "drug paraphernailia" is taxable...a revenue source.

Let's leave huge areas of our border completely unprotected and unpatrolled, letting drug dealers move their merchandise in country to bolster the bullshit WOD and hammer legit businesses.

Pretzel logic.

....and no, I don't use drugs....

[RolandBurnam]

What were we just talking about?

[realpatriot71]

I didn't think "paraphernalia" was considered "paraphernalia" until it had been used. For instance you buy a new bong (*ahem* tabacco water pipe), but since it has not been used for any illegal activities, you cannot get into any trouble until you've used the bong. This is like going after gun makers and gun sellers for the activities that the gun owner(s) participated in.

[Servant of the Nine]

I would feel a lot safer if he would pull all his people off the WOD and put them on counterterrorism.

It's not like they are acomplishing anything but driving up prices, causing junkies to commit more crimes against you and me. They have had zero effect on actually stopping drugs.

So9

[Redcloak]

I dunno... Got any more chips?

[kegler4]

Take the illegal part out of it (any arbitrary decision by our governement anyway) for just a minute. People who smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and overeat are running up your insurance a lot more than people who use drugs (no, I am not suggesting we make those other things illegal). In fact, people who illegally drive cars over the speed limit are probably increasing your insurance rates more.

[MrLeRoy]

Actually when druggies use emergency facilities because of drug overdoses over and over again they are costing me money on my health insurance.

Then switch to a plan that excludes drug-related emergency care. Health insurance costs no more justify banning drugs than they do banning alcohol, or cheeseburgers, both of which drive up those costs.

[realpatriot71]

Actually when druggies use emergency facilities because of drug overdoses over and over again they are costing me money on my health insurance.

Most of your "drug accessories" are for smoking MJ, which has never put in anyone into the hospital for an overdose.

[MrLeRoy]

It's not like they are acomplishing anything but driving up prices, causing junkies to commit more crimes against you and me. They have had zero effect on actually stopping drugs.

But they do give coercive moralists the warm-and-fuzzies. Surely that's worth 36 billion annually of our tax dollars.

[Sir Gawain]

[BrooklynGOP]

Actually when druggies use emergency facilities because of drug overdoses

Right. Those potheads overdose all the time.