[thechat] head shops busted by feds

[Judah McAuley]

Herr Commandant Ashcroft decided to take the War on Drugs down to the
level of pipe blowers yesterday.  In a nation-wide effort (Operations
Pipe Dreams and Headhunter), they raided selected shops across the
country, appearing to focus on shops that had websites.  Apparently
during a time of Orange Alert, shutting down glass blowing operations is
key to our national safety.  Drug Paraphanalia law, federally, is a
pretty settled matter (or at least it was).  It's illegal to sell items
whose primary purpose is the use of an illegal substance.  Under long
precedent, this means that you can't say "This bong can fit an ounce of
weed in a single bowl!".  People who are selling pipes, water pipes,
etc. are usually very clear that these items are only to be used for
lawful activities such as smoking tobacco.  Head shops will only sell to
people of 18 because of this.

Well, Ashcroft has decided to toss precedent and bust people who make
items that *could* be used for illegal purposes.  In Eugene, they busted
Higher Source.  Higher Source is a nice shop.  I used to work right
across the street from it.  Jason Harris (the owner and one of the men
arrested) is a nice guy who is a good glass artist.  Besides functional
glass art he makes a number of very nice decorative pieces that show in
local galleries.  They seized his shop, his house, his bank account, and
ordered the website to be redirected to the doj.gov site where they
record personal information for later potential prosecution.

Both the people arrested in Eugene (the other person was named Saeed)
also work with the Eugene Glass School teaching people who are
interested in glass work.  I'm taking a beginning lampwork class there
this weekend.

This is just another example of John Ashcroft using dubious enforcement
powers to overturn established precedent and protocol to further his
conservative social agenda and frighten a community.  That man needs to
be stopped somehow.  Revolution is starting to look more and more
attractive.

CNet article on the debacle:
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-985785.html?tag=cd_mh

Judah