Nine months in jail is bad trip for 'bong' seller Tommy Chong

Guardian Unlimitied ^ | 09-20-03

[Brian S]

Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles Saturday September 20, 2003 The Guardian

One of America's best-known counter-cultural comedians, Tommy Chong, is facing the prospect of a nine-month jail sentence after being convicted of selling glass pipes on the internet which can be used for smoking cannabis.

Lawyers for Chong, 65, one half of the famous Cheech and Chong comedy duo and more recently a television actor, claim the US attorney general, John Ashcroft, chose to prosecute him for the publicity value.

The glass pipes, or "bongs", that Chong has been offering for sale are the same as those that have been sold for years by thousands of "head shops" all over the US and Europe, and Chong has regularly been paying taxes on their sales.

"They are really prosecuting him for who he is," his Los Angeles-based attorney, Richard Hirsh, said yesterday. "It was a very selective prosecution. Ashcroft is 100% behind it."

Mr Hirsh said that for many years the sale of bongs and pipes had been accepted and no notice had been given of an intended change in policy.

Twenty-two people have been convicted of selling pipes since Mr Ashcroft launched Operation Pipe Dreams last year. Some 650,000 people in the US are arrested each year for minor cannabis possession.

Chong, who has no previous convictions and has run his business in Gardena, California, alongside an acting career, was arrested after a sting operation in which federal agents in Pittsburgh ordered bongs over the internet, thus ensuring that the items were sent across state lines.

Judge Arthur Schwab said jail was appropriate for "a felony of conspiring to distribute drug paraphernalia", and sentenced him to nine months last week. His lawyers are deciding whether to appeal.

Chong, who was born in Canada, linked up with "Cheech" Marin in the 1970s and made a number of comedy films with a cannabis-related theme. Among them were Up In Smoke, Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams, Still Smokin' and, in the 1990s, National Lampoon's Senior Trip. His latest film is Pot Luck.

[big bad easter bunny]

Plain silly, leave him aloan!

[WorkingClassFilth]

Chong has a point but too bad his point is on the wrong side of the law.

What's illegal is illegal.

Perhaps Tommy will find other things to suck in prison.

[Revolting cat!]

He did a crime and you wanna give him a loan? For what? Home improvement?

[narses]

The left wing counter culture wants us to feel sorry for drug dealers and their ilk. Let him sit in jail a while and stew, for all I care.

[river rat]

It's about time!
Payback is a bitch....
Surprised he didn't get busted much earlier..

Semper Fi

[South40]

Chong has a point but too bad his point is on the wrong side of the law. What's illegal is illegal.

Tell that to ambrose, the FReeper who, until just a few days ago had "Free Tommy Chong" as his tagline.

Rule of law? What rule of law?!

[narses]

Sieg Ashcroft!

[agitator]

[strela]

He did a crime and you wanna give him a loan?

Does this mean that Chong was arrested by The Loan Arranger?

[WorkingClassFilth]

No dope, and no dope paraphenalia.

[Trailerpark Badass]

I feel safer already!

[1066AD]

Chong, who has no previous convictions and has run his business in Gardena, California, alongside an acting career, was arrested after a sting operation in which federal agents in Pittsburgh ordered bongs over the internet, thus ensuring that the items were sent across state lines.

Just maybe he should have realized the internet crosses state lines. DUH.

[CurlyDave]

his point is on the wrong side of the law

Actually this is a case where the law is just plain wrong.

[Frances_Marion]

Another SUCCESS story in the War on (Some) Drugs!

Keep shelling out those bucks, jackbooted suckers!

[IncPen]

Rule of law? What rule of law?!

Those who mock the WOsD (War On some Drugs), and only have RFsL (Respect For some Laws).

Shhhh. The game is 'Let's Pretend'.

It's where libertarians get to put on liberal's clothing and demand the Right To Self-Iindulgence, a freedom guaranteed in The Constitution.

You know, the same arguments that the pro-abortionists use...

[IncPen]

Actually this is a case where the law is just plain wrong.

So, change the law.

[Crowcreek]

Chong, the father of actress Rae Dawn Chong.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Of course - jack boots.

How nice.

Do you have any photos of corsets, garters and lingerie?

[motexva]

Amazing that federal agents are being used to prosecute this nonsense while terrorist cells are active in the country. Does anyone think this will do anything to stop the consumption of drugs?

The Bush administration will have a lot to answer for if thousands of Americans die in another terror attack.

And before the name calling starts, I generally support the president and do not support the general legalization of narcotics. But this is a waste of time and taxpayers dollars.