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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2001
It's not wrong to say "bong"
Local stores are inconsistent about smoking accessories
By Lynley Dallam and Amanda Ricker Special to the Kansan
A customer stepped up to a showcase glass counter at Creation Station, where
pipe s a n d
hookas shone under
the fluorescent light.
"Do you have
anything I can
smoke weed out
of?" she asked.
That was a mistake. There are at least 10 words
local novelty shop owners ban customers from
saying.
"Get out of here;
we can't talk that way," the manager said. "It's Kansas law."
That's not true, according to local police.
porce. Despite what local shopkeepers say, there is no law against saying "pot" in a paranhernalia store.
Dan Dunbar, a Douglas County district attorney, said it was not illegal for someone to walk into these shops and say. "Hey, can I smoke marijuana out of this pipe?"
"I smoke many "Stores make this policy because they don't want to provide the law with a factor to determine whether they are selling paraphernalia," he said. Dunbar said store owners did have the right to create speech rules at their own discretion
poles at the Creation Station and other Lawrence stores display signs that define what customers can and cannot say about smoking accessories, said Melissa Minton, manager of Creation Station, 726 Massachusetts St. Signs at her store claim that this policy is "do not."
Most store owners prohibit these words from being spoken in their stores:
"WEED" WORDING WORRIES
- weed
- pot
- bong
- hash
- ganga
- marijuana
- nugs
- cannabis
- reefer
- stoned
PERMISSIBLE PHRASES These are acceptable words to use in a store, selling water pipes and accessories:
pipe
water pipe
smoking accessory/ device
flavored tobacco
hooka
dugout
pinchie
bowl
glass piece
smoke
customers follow rules when purchasing smoking accessories.
At 7th Heaven, customers can't make any references to illegal drug use. The store keeps smoking devices in a separate room. Eric Mater, 7th Heaven employee, said anyone who used words such as "bong" or "hash" was asked to leave the room immediately.
"They can always come back tomorrow, but we can't sell to them at that time." Mater said.
Minton said Creation Station, 726 Massachusetts St., saw many customers who had been kicked out of 7th Heaven. She said that any mention of illegal drug use in discussion of smoking accessories would result in expulsion from the store.
"To sell smoking devices, stores must maintain policy." Minton said.
policy, Milton said. Mater said Lawrence police regularly visited the store to make sure they were abiding by "legal policy," and said the smoking accessory business survived by keeping that policy.
Although the Lawrence Police Department won't prosecute locals for saying "weed," there may be some smoke if not fire when it comes to speech rules in these shops.
comes to speech statute #65-4151, said. Dunbar, citing state statute #65-4151, said, "One of the factors to consider in the determination of what is drug paraphernalia is statements by an owner or person in control of the object concerning its use."
"There is nothing illegal about selling pipes if the customer is 18, even though 99 percent of smoking devices are sold for marijuana use." Dunbar said.
use. Durham said.
Officers visit The Phil Zone, 1405 Massachusetts St., to investigate shoplifting or other crimes and are not interested in the smoking devices, said Phil Zone owner Phil Sisson.
"Cops have come in and filled out crime reports on top of my bong case." Sisson said.
reports on his work.
The Phil Zone was the first store to sell smoking accessories in Lawrence, he said. He has never had a policy restricting speech.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JAMIE ROPER/KANSAN
has never "I don't care if someone asks for a bong or a water pipe," Sisson said. "I will sell them my merchandise."
Contact Dallam and Ricker at 864-4810
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