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Head Shops in my area shut down.
lordofduct - Feb 21, 2005

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  lordofduct Feb 21, 2005
I have no links or anything for you, but trust me this is happening in my city!

Head shops are very prosperous here in south florida. With in 20 miles of my home is about 4 head shops, but now only 1. Purple Haze had been shut down for sometime, 420 store on Clematis shut down recently, and now Wonderland what closed in a very brutal manor. The only store left is Twilight Zone at the end of my street who I am very good friends with the owners of. I was speaking with George the owner today about Wonderland being shut down last week and he told me detailed verbatim what the owner of Wonderland said happend.

"SWAT came in with shut guns and masks screaming for me and my employees to get in the corner and to not move or suffer the consequences. They proceeded to lay boxes in front of all the cases and in one motion swiping all the glass [pyrex pipes and bongs] off the shelves into the box without care of breaking them."

Cops and courts admit that the store owner was not breaking any laws selling these products. That tobacco accesories are not illegal in anyway. They come in and do this along with issuing a subpeona under the assumption that the pipes "could be used for marijuana consumption". They are told they must prove that the customers do not use the accesories for anything illegal. I always thought we were considered innocent until proven guilty... I guess not anymore. They can get there pipes back after all the court costs and fines coupled with them, just to get several boxes of broken glass.

This is someones lively hood. These are entrepeunors trying to put money in there pocket so they can provide to their families! The owner of Wonderland (whom I do not know personally but heard through George) is basically ruined. He lost several thousands of dollars in merchandise. These pieces do not come cheap. Nevermind the emotional harassment that his employees had to endure by having shot guns pointed at them just for doing the LEGAL job!

George and Ruth (owners of Twilight Zone, the only head shop in Palm Beach left) is afraid that they may lose there business soon... but are further scared and irritated that its a high possibility that they will have guns thrown in there faces.

"My father, Uncle, Brother and Grandfather all are in the military. My Uncle retired fromt he marines and reenlisted twice. I and my family are ashaimed that these are the rights that they fought for!" Ruth of Twilight Zone.

What do you think of this?

 SkankinMonkey Feb 21, 2005
They shut down the head shops here where I live about this time last year too.

 it290 Feb 21, 2005
I think it's bullshit personally, but many (most?) states do have a law stating that it's illegal to knowingly sell products that are primarily intended as aids to illegal drug use. Tommy Chong got sent up a while ago for the same thing -- I believe he's out now. He was interviewed on Fresh Air (NPR) if you want to check it out. As for the seizure thing, they could have worked that in somehow with the RICO laws, which have been around for some time. I think that laws like that are a violation of constitutional rights, but good luck getting any politician to go up against them. It's a shame, really.

 lordofduct Feb 21, 2005
Chong was put up because he was selling "used" bongs.

These stores here are not knowingly selling them. Thats the thing. Everyone knows that if you walk into any of the head shops around here and vaguely speak of pot or even call the glass anything other then pipe, water filtration pipe or pyrex you would get kicked out with out sale. (words like bong, hooka, sneak-a-toke, etc. are not allowed) Its BS...

 it290 Feb 22, 2005
Yeah, every head shop has a rule like that, and as I said I disagree with this sort of behavior on the part of law enforcement, but I'm sure you don't really believe that they don't know what the pipes/bongs are going to be used for.

 Curtis Feb 22, 2005
I wonder when they'll shutdown gun shops? If the owner has to prove the purchaser won't use a gun illegally...

 Pearl Jammzz Feb 22, 2005
well what about videogame systems...have to prove that I wont get a modchip and use it to play illegal copies of software.

what about cars? can't sell those anymore cuz you need to prove I wont speed or anything.

My point is that this is complete bullshit. Oh ya, and that Florida is the asshole of the US.

 Cloud121 Feb 22, 2005
Uh..

What the hell is a "Head Shop"?

 Dud Feb 22, 2005

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by RolfWrenWalsh@Mon, 2005-02-21 @ 08:24 PM



Uh..



What the hell is a "Head Shop"?




[post=130211]Quoted post[/post]


They sell special glassware. Glassware for smoking REEFER!

EDIT:

Oh I suppose you could put tobacco in them too... :lol:

Personally I think the negative effects of illegal drugs have been exaggerated for years. It's hard to tell when these anti-drug campaigns are lying or not. For example in the 90s to appeal to young males they told us that marijuana causes sexual dysfunction, which is just plain not true. Marijuana should be legal, if it's going to remain illegal why not go all the way and bring back prohibition? Oh, that's right, alcohol has established itself as acceptable in mainstream society, dating back to biblical times. And you know that if Jesus an his apostles were known to have been toking up, we'd all be sitting at our computers with a blunt in our hand, talking about something else. Hmm, I seem to have gotten off on a rant. It's funny because I don't even indulge in the stuff personally. One of my friends does though; it helps her study.

 it290 Feb 22, 2005
lol...

 VertigoXX Feb 22, 2005
As I've always said... Either ban tobacco or legalize marajuanna!

Marajuanna does not have the cancer-causing tar or physicaly addictive nicotine that is found in tobacco products. The only reason it is illegal is because at some point half way though the last century, the tobacco companies realized that it could cut into their sales. If they're not gonna ban the product that causes its users to die, why should the "competing" product be banned?

 mal Feb 22, 2005
I always thought that cannabis growing, and in turn marijuana use, was banned because it was deemed a threat to traditional paper manufacture (timber industries) and DuPont's new fangled Nylon (rope manufacture).

I'm pro-decriminalization as well, but I don't have the time right now to put forward my view...

 it290 Feb 22, 2005
Actually, marijuana is more cancerous than tobacco when used in the same quantity. Hardly anyone smokes that much, though.

It would seem that cigarettes are well on their way to being banned, though.

 Xavier Feb 22, 2005
legalize it

 it290 Feb 22, 2005

  
	
	

		
		

			I always thought that cannabis growing, and in turn marijuana use, was banned because it was deemed a threat to traditional paper manufacture (timber industries) and DuPont's new fangled Nylon (rope manufacture).


Hmm, I dunno, you can easily by hemp paper, shoes, etc. Not sure if the actual hemp can be grown in the US or not though (not that anything is really made here anymore anyway..sigh). My opinion is that it had more to do with the fanatical crusader-like antics of people like Harry J. Anslinger, although I'm sure he might have had some business connections.

 lordofduct Feb 22, 2005
personally I don't care either way it goes. I don't smoke, and I don't care if others do. Just do me a favor... STOP DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE!

 mal Feb 22, 2005

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by it290@Tue, 2005-02-22 @ 05:35 PM



Hmm, I dunno, you can easily buy hemp paper, shoes, etc.


AFAIK that's a relatively recent development and still very much a cottage industry. Hemp products certainly aren't mainstream in Oz anyway.

 Curtis Feb 22, 2005
I recently heard of hemp houses. Apparently hemp ground into a powder and mixed with something makes a concrete-like substance which, I guess, you can turn into a house. Both a cottage industry (ba-dum tishh), and something you probably wouldn't mind seeing burn.

 mal Feb 22, 2005
When I was at uni I lived in a hemp house, but it was nothing like what you described Curtis.

 it290 Feb 22, 2005
Heh, reminds me of that scene in 'Up in Smoke' with the van outside the Battle of the Bands..

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