Why is possessing paraphernalia illegal ?

[Big.M]

How can it be , When you can legaly sell /buy scales, pipes, bongs, papers, Etc, . Anyone here ever been arrested for possessing such products? Of course it gives a cop probable cause to search your car or person .

[OR Freebird]

It's not the paraphanelia that's neccesarily illegal, it's the resins inside it. You can't be arrested for rolling papers or an unsed pipe or bong -- unless you're Tommy Chong and try selling them over the internet. For anyone else, even that is okay.

[scobbie]

if you have any previous convictions for possesion or intent to supply then paraphanelia can give the cops probibal cause for a search and in the case of used bongs, roaches,they can have you on possesion,bags and scale with previous for supplying can lead to more charges so although they are not illegal they are dodgy to someone with previous convictions

[Doobie Snax]

Yeh, if you've been done before for dealing, a set of scales will get you in deep shit. Mind you, possessing a bong with some burnt out bud in the bottom can get you done, but it depends what mood the copper's in.

[NewYorkDiesel]

I KNOW A DUDE THAT HAD TO GO TO COURT SO DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT?? HAHA [email protected] RULES !!! CALI

[NewYorkDiesel]

DUH,.. GO TO COURT FOR ROLLING PAPER I MEANT I'M FUCKING WASTED I GUESS

[scobbie]

what was the charge,possesion of paper that means every time i go for a shit im fucked

[endo..jay]

cops can only charge papers as paraphanelia if there is mj found other that that they are 100%legal just like pipes and shit...i asked this 2day while i was handcuffed to the wall

[ILoveYouMaryJane]

i was charged with paraphanalia with 2 packs of papers, but i also had about a half gram of weed. what i dont understand is that if a headshop sells a pipe/bong as a tobacco smoking device, why are you charged as if it were used for smoking weed? it doesnt equal out to me

[whyamiwhite]

we may not like cops but they definatley aren't stupid........if ya have weed on ya when you get busted with the papers what are they gonna think, oh these are tobacco rolling papers? it's common sense.

[PieEyedPiper]

They were going to ban smoking accessories Down Under but they figured that they would have to ban garden hoses,aluminiun cans, plastic drink bottles,ciggie papers,tobacco pipes,buckets,bamboo, etc.

[motorcycletony222]

Another reason is that they will throw as many charges at you as they can just to reduce them to just one or two in a plea bargain. It looks as if their giving you a break. Charge you with 6, plead to 2. When it come right down to it, unless they stack the time, the six charges hold the same time as two. So why take a plea. If more defendents fought their cases the cops could not arrest so many, simply no room. In the USA there are 2 million behind bars. 75 % agreed before hand through a plea bargain to go. Dont sound much like a bargain.

[Smoking Ganja]

i was with a bunch of friends the other night and cops came.. luckily we had just finished our weed and were able to ditch the pipe before they got to us.. they searched us and we weer clean, but they took my friends digi .... so according to u guys they shouldnt have been able to do that right?

[motorcycletony222]

No, they should not have. But po po's do what they want to do. I got arrested in my back yard and the cops took a rack of snap on wrenches, not cheap. I got out the next day and called internal affairs too complain. They were very rude on the phone and within five minutes a detective showed up. I was told to forget about the tools or else. The or else meant to much heat for me so, oh well. I try to donate money or property now, some may call it bribes, I call it the cost of doing business.

[wutang123456]

unfortunately, the cops really can do what ever the fuck they want

[Bonez87x]

none of those things happen around here... your cops suck ass. :) cops here in cent. fl are nice, or at least the ones i run into are, I got busted after being pulled over and having a used pipe. I was given the choice of a fine for possession or a choice of "How far can I throw?"... I wonder how many of other peoples tools are lost in the swampy palm-tree filled sections off of the highways here....

[Gothen]

Yeah, like everyone else has said, the only reason why pipes and shit can be considered illegal is if it has resin in it. If it has resin in it, it means you HAVE been breaking the law.

When my fucking parent called the cops on me for the first time, they came and she had 3 of my pipes on the table for them, and the cop said, "Now, now ya see here, son....we got you on a charge of possession with these pipes." I said, "Possession? But, sir, I don't have any marijuana on me." He says, "Yeah, but ya see here, ya got the resin in the pipe here, and thats as good as possession." I said, "NO, sir, I think you are mistaken. I have to actually POSSESS marijuana in order for this to be a marijuana possession charge." His partner said, "Now, boy! Don't you get smart! You don't want to see me get pissed!" I dropped it right there, but in case you're wondering....I only got possession of paraphrenalia. ^_~

[CoyoteGrass]

they can only arrest you if theres an form of thc present...thats it....its not illegal to sell bongs,pipes,scales, ect.....if u have a scale and bags, then thats a diff story which they could prob plant sum bullshit but ur fine....just oil the shit befor u take it into public

[AcidFreak]

Pipes and bongs and such are completely legal UNTIL you smoke out of them. Once there's resin in there, you're fucked. Same with papers and such.

If you're caught with a pipe with resin in it, you'll get charged with paraphenilia, not possession. If you're caught with ANY smoking device, resin-free or not, and you're under 18, you're gettin' charged with possession.

Thread over. :)

[Shastadad]

Tommy Chong's California-based company, Chong Glass, was raided by federal officials on February 25, 2003, as part of a federal crackdown on "drug-related paraphernalia." Tommy Chong pleaded guilty to charges of distributing drug paraphernalia in May and on September 11, 2003 was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison, fined USD$20,000, and forced to forfeit USD$120,000 in assets. He served the time between October 8, 2003 and July 7, 2004.

I am sure that the bongs Tommy Chong was selling didn't have any resin in them.

You have to remember that we are in a Drug War and like in any war all rules of common sense go out the window.

Just be careful out there.

[cannabisjoe]

Actually it's the term bong that Tommy Chong got arrested for. Apparently it means marijuana water pipe, but if you just call them water pipes then they are legal. That's why most head shops won't sell you a water pipe if you call it a bong. And as far as getting arrested for papers only if you have weed on you that's not true, you can get arrested for having rolling papers if you don't have tobacco on you to prove you're rolling tobacco. Now I'm not saying it will stand up in court, but they can arrest and and search you for having rolling papers if you don't have tobacco. Stay safe kiddies.

[Shastadad]

Thank you cannabisjoe it's nice to get a reasonable answer without being flamed.

All the best for clearing it up.