Douglas County Dist. Atty. Charles Branson says he's working with lawmakers to find a way to limit the sale of glass tubes commonly used for smoking crack cocaine or methamphetamine.
The tubes - sold with tiny synthetic flowers inside them and marketed under names such as Sweetheart Rose or Aroma Lavender - are available behind the counter at local convenience stores.
"The goal would be to get it off the shelves," Branson said. "Obviously, anybody can take about anything and make something illegal out of it, but when something is so blatantly sold for no other purpose ... we've got to be able to hold people accountable for that."
Branson said he's been working with state Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, to find a way to change Kansas' criminal laws related to drug paraphernalia or to persuade stores to not carry the products.
"One of the things we've got to try to do is convince them that this isn't something they ought to be selling," Branson said. "You don't make a profit on the backs of society."
The law as it's now written makes it difficult to prosecute a retailer for selling the items, Branson said. Items that have a conceivable legal use can be sold in Kansas as long as they're not marketed as drug paraphernalia.
"When that statute was crafted, it was not crafted with a retailer in mind," he said. "Obviously the defense is, 'Well, this was a novelty item sold for X purpose and not intended for use with illicit drugs. It makes it a very difficult case."
Davis said he expected a bill on the subject would be introduced in the upcoming Legislative session, but that it's too early to say exactly what it would entail. He said lawmakers would be receptive to any effort to curb the use of methamphetamine.
"I think there will be some interest in this," he said.
A survey in town recently found the roses available at three Lawrence convenience stores and not available at four others.
Susie Coleman, general manager of Center Distributing in Topeka, which supplies local convenience stores, said she didn't sell the "Sweetheart Roses." But she predicted it would be tough for lawmakers to prevent stores from selling them.
"Good luck," she said. "I don't see how you could ever fight that because you might buy one for your girlfriend someday. ... I can't imagine you could pass a law that says you can't sell a rose in a glass tube."
Comments
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ljreader (anonymous) says…
"You don't make a profit on the backs of society."
Tell that to Westar and Aquila, pharmaceutical drug companies. etc etc etc.
And to think we could have won the war on drugs years ago had someone thought of not selling glass tubes. That'll learn em!
cowboy (anonymous) says…
let me guess where , 23rd st habib market , haskell & 23rd , haskell and 19th. Ive also seen them pull the brillo out from under the counter to go with the pipe.
katybleu (anonymous) says…
Won the war on drugs? And deprive politicians their moment in the spotlight to chit-chat about this for hours and not do anything for fear it would offend someone? Hurray, for bringing this forward, Mr. Branson. It's about time someone stepped up to the plate. There are not only convienient stores who sell paraphernalia but a couple of other stores right on Mass Street. I mean why does a person need a little mini pipe? I've never seen or heard of anyone smoking tobacco in one. Why be mamsy-pansy about it? I saw get rid of all of it not just the glass tubes.
prospector (anonymous) says…
Great PR for the political BS's. Trying to keep us safe from ourselves. mooooooo...everybody follow the herd because I know these guys have my social back. HA
Please keep these on the market so my car antena will not get broken off AGAIN! An antena works just as well and will be plan B when these are not available in the stores. The cost of this law will be paid by you and I. I see no social profit from it.
Godot (anonymous) says…
What a waste of time.
Godot (anonymous) says…
Why don't cops just follow people who leave convenience stores with these things? Looks to me like a sure fire way to find the drugs.....
prospector (anonymous) says…
The cops could bust them for lud and lacivious acts when the gal shows here appreciation for his thought's with the flower.
They know where the drugs are, no hurry to win the war, job security and such.
laughingatallofu (anonymous) says…
Prospector has it right:
>>>They know where the drugs are, no hurry to win the war, job security and such<<<
Law enforcement has followed the path of the pharmaceutical industry.
The same thing goes on with the pharmaceutical industry. If they find a cure for the common cold, their market for all of those coughing, sneezing, aching, so-you-can-rest medicines will evaporate.
There's no financial incentive to do the right thing.
glockenspiel (anonymous) says…
Making these illegal will not stop smoking of illegal drugs. The only way to stop it is to regulate the source of the drug itself and work on prevention. Crackheads will improvise if they don't have a glass pipe. Maybe we should ban the sale of tinfoil?
crazyks (anonymous) says…
I've known people who bought those little flowers in glass tubes as a last minute Valentine's gift or something.
I never thought that they could be used as drug paraphernelia, and I think there are probably a lot of drug users out there who never thought of it, either.
Now that's it's been so highly publicized, their popularity will probably skyrocket...
Some people (especially politicians) need to find another hobby. They get obsessed over the weirdest things...
Lunachic (anonymous) says…
I cannot say that I approve of the sale of those glass tubes at all, however I must disagree with katybleu about the shops on Mass...those folks are in no way catering to the methamphetamine crowd. When was the last time one saw a crackhead or meth head pay $50.00 for a pipe? The glass in the shops on Mass is for the legitimate consumption of tobacco and other legal herbal blends such as mishma, mullein, and sage to name a few. The glass in the shops on Mass is also mostly locally crafted artglass in addition to having a function to go with the form. I hope that if any legislation is introduced it is very specific to the problem at hand, those little tubes with no other legitimate purpose.
Blessed Be and Namase,
Luna
Hong_Kong_Phooey (anonymous) says…
So..."crazyks" are you saying that you are a drug user? The way you phrased your sentence about how you hadn't thought of it "and other drug users probably haven't either" would imply that you are.
Luna - I have NEVER seen anyone use those little pipes on Mass. St. for smoking tobacco. Everyone knows that people are going to be smoking pot with them.
ljreader (anonymous) says…
So, who cares what Anything is used for??? Do you seriously think addicts will just stop if they can't buy a glass tube???
What is next? Take rolling papers, brillo pads, foil, glue, needles , spray cans off the market- How about making matches and lighters illegal? They pay with money- They may have to drive cars to get to their dealers house-Let's get rid of those too.
Anyone who thinks making paraphernalia illegal will solve society's drug problems, is just plain stuck on stupid.
Its like throwing poor unemployed people a few bucks at Christmas time then acting like you've solved their poverty.
Personally, I don't care if crackheads can find stuff to use their crack with easily or not.Probably half of them never bought this crap anyway- I'm sure they could improvise with something else, and save their $$$ for their crack.
I hope this latest witch hunt doesn't get too many taxpayer dollars thrown at it, because it solves nothing.
Why not eliminate the CRACK, then it would make the market for crack paraphernalia obsolete.
Its like making forks illegal to wipe out obesity. PLEASE!
eaglefoot (anonymous) says…
crack is far nastier than pot if pot can even be intelligently considered nasty at all.
christie (anonymous) says…
Oh please. These stupid little glass pipes are used for smoking CRACK and nothing else. I'd love to see some kind of enforcement, this is blatant. Rolling papers who cares, but CRACK ??? Get real. This has got to go.
badger (anonymous) says…
Aaaaaaaaaaand years ago when I worked in a gas station, it was little glass tubes containing single doses of ginseng and bee pollen, about the same size.
Are they really going to just flat ban anything being sold in a glass tube on the off chance that it might be used to consume drugs?
That's utterly moronic. This is a total waste of time.
And, HKP, I know people who smoke salvia and coltsfoot in those little pipes, and people who use the water pipes and hookahs you can get on Mass for smoking tobacco, because both legal herbs and tobacco smoked through a water pipe are easier on your lungs than plain smoked tobacco cigarettes. There are some herbs which must be smoked to be used as an herbal remedy, and for those a small pipe or water pipe is best for the dosage size needed.
ladderman (anonymous) says…
I can't believe the word "Leaders" was used in the headline on this story. When the aliens arrive in Lawrence and say "take us to your leaders", are these who we should take them to? What a joke. Don't these two self-serving phony politicos have anything better to do?
By the way, Hong_Kong_, I think you misread the comment by crazyks. I didn't see the word "other" in his/her post, as you had in yours. What have you been smoking?
crazyks (anonymous) says…
Oh, phooey on you, Hong Kong...
"Other" drug users? Look at my post again...I never said any such thing. Maybe you're foisting your own habits onto others?
No, not a drug user and never have been. I wouldn't know how the hell to use drugs or even what they look like.
But foster your own little fantasy about me if you want. If you're picking on me, you're leaving somebody else alone.
ljreader (anonymous) says…
Here are the REAL profits made on the backs of society.
Material Costs of Medical Compounds Investigative Research Reveals the True Costs of Drugs. By Sharon Davis and Mary Palmer - US Department of Commerce. Here are some examples.
Celebrex 100 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60
Percent markup: 21,712%
Claritin 10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
Percent markup: 30,306%
Norvasec 10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14
Percent markup: 134,493%
Prevacid 30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
Percent markup: 34,136%
Prilosec 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
Percent markup: 69,417%
Prozac 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
Percent markup: 224,973%
Click here to read the article.
yeah_right (anonymous) says…
Crackheads are going to find a way to get high as long as they get the crack. Not being able to access little glass pipes from convenience stores is not going to stop them. Lawrence just makes me laugh some times.
crazymanthinkin (anonymous) says…
Don't it strike anyone as odd that Branson said "on the backs of society" and it should be on the BACK of society. Since society is singular wouldn't back be singular too? Tut tut - such triflings - like grammar.
On topic though...
I'm all about the bigger fish too - you've got to fight the addictive substances themselves not what they smoke it in. What about efforts to get the cold medicine that is an important ingredient of meth - off shelves and readily available - to behind the counter - at least. Anyone with half a brain and internet access can look up how to make meth on the internet and then to go Wallyworld and buy most of the ingredients.
The problem is not glass tubes to smoke meth in. It's the meth - dummy. Hellllllllooo - meth is a HIGHLY addictive substance. If they're not using glass pipes they'll be using something else - LOTS of other things - to get their high. You think taking away little glass pipes is going to help the drug problem?!!! It is like taking away a shot glass from a drunk. You've got to address the real problem - substance abuse and addiction and meth. But, of course that is too big of a problem for these "leaders" to handle. No easy answers for easy headlines.
Good luck to all of us if this is the kind of leaders we have from "progressive" Lawrence.
wonderhorse (anonymous) says…
ljreader
Do you have the costs of research and development of all of those drugs, as well? Or have you factored those costs into your figures?
Lunachic (anonymous) says…
Hong-Kong, I have seen people use pipes for tobacco, mint, salvia, mullein, lavender, sage, mugwort, lemon balm, damiana and a host of other herbs. There are thousands of leagl, psychoactive herbs out there with and thousands of other herbs with medicinal properties...all of which are used legitimately out of an array of smoking accessories. SO I stand by my position that the stores selling actual pipes as what they are (smoking accessories) should not be involved in any potential ban of "glass tubes" "glass tubes" do not have a legitimate function and the notion that the stores downtown are selling questionable or illegitimate merchandise is what bothered me and prompted me to comment.
Blessed Be and Namaste,
Luna