Marijuana.com

CheebaMonkey

Officials seize more than $1 million of Miami drug paraphernalia
Miami Herald | May 04, 2004

[CheebaMonkey: A little side note. When I first posted the article, you were able to view it on their site without registration. But for some reason, you have to register now. Dunno why.]

MIAMI - Federal officials confiscated more than $1 million in bongs, pipes and other drug paraphernalia - about 42,000 pieces in all - from a warehouse run by one of the largest distributors of such items in the nation, according to U.S. Customs agents.

[CheebaMonkey: Why, I feel safer already!

Egad! Somebody call the cops! I just found some more paraphernalia!]

http://www.marijuana.com/420/attachm...tid=2594&stc=1 http://www.marijuana.com/420/attachm...tid=2595&stc=1 http://www.marijuana.com/420/attachm...tid=2596&stc=1

No arrests were made. The investigation is ongoing.

The paraphernalia was seized from Da-Con Scientific in southwest Miami-Dade County, Customs officials announced Monday. The company is the largest distributor of drug paraphernalia in Florida, said Anthony Mangione, Immigration and Customs Enforcement resident agent in charge for Fort Lauderdale.

Mangione said many of the items were intended for children, including some decorated with cartoon characters such as The Cat in the Hat.

[CheebaMonkey: Except that you have to be 18 to buy the goods. And that children aren't going to be able to hang around in headshops. I imagine the owners would quickly tell them to leave, since these shops are getting raided.]

"They're clearly targeting kids," Mangione said. "I don't know too many adults sitting down with a Cat in the Hat bong."

[CheebaMonkey: Won't somebody please think of the children?!

*bubble bubble bubble*

http://www.marijuana.com/420/attachm...tid=2593&stc=1

I do like green eggs and ham!]

__________________

 

Logos

Heh, Wow Cheebs, holding out on the newshounding skills eh, Nice work, but I do have a few questions...

How does one create paraphanelia out of a light bulb? The can and apple I knew about, but a lightbulb?


One last question. How many adults has Anthony witnessed sitting down with any kind of bong?

Good question huh?

On the flipside, I'd not hesitate to sit down with a cat in the hat bong, cause it ain't the bong, but the contents of the bowl that I'm ultimately interested in, and if my ego took issue with that, I'd simply play some more target practice with it...

What I don't get is how does one acquire a license to use the cat in the hat image for the purpose of creating a bong in said fictional characters likeness without getting their pants sued off by Disney?

Logos

__________________
Brother Logos
The more I learn, the less I know.
THC Ministry | The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ | The Reluctant Messenger of Science and Religion
True religion is real living, living with all one's soul, with all ones goodness and righteousness. --Albert Einstein

CheebaMonkey

You can make a vaporizer out of it.

We have a large thread about it. Check it out.

Kannibal

"They're clearly targeting kids," Mangione said. "I don't know too many adults sitting down with a Cat in the Hat bong."



I'm wondering just how many adults he does know that sits down with any kind of bong.I think a Cat in the Hat bong would be nice.I personally like that story and that old cat.He definitely made that hat pretty popular.

But yeah I can rest better tonight knowing the feds are now in possesion of a warehouse of paraphernalia.Good to see our hard earned tax dollars at work in such a productive way.

Bellatrix

Unless I'm stoned - then I'll even eat spam!

*lol* I made a funny!

*high shrieking voice* Won't sombody please think of the children??

Good indeed, especially since I am, for all intents and purposes, an adult, and I would JUMP at the chance to own a "Cat in the Hat" bong. Folks my age have many fond memories of Dr. Seuss lore and he's popular cult figure. I own all kind of anime-related smoking products and I suppose these idiots would figure that was "kid's stuff" too.

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DubMusic4Life

raiding HEADSHOPS?! These people need to get a hobby....

Jose Melendez

From: Jose Melendez jose@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu May 6, 2004 02:30:11 US/Eastern
To: dmarrero@sun-sentinel.com
Subject: I've got more antitrust law and paraphernalia precedence on background

Hi,

I'm an online activist and thought you could use some of this legal stuff in your background for the bong bust story.

I've got more antitrust law and paraphernalia precedence if you need it, plus some other rather incontrovertible proof these raids are unlawful.

Thought you should be informed . . .

Re:


>I could really use some help with this
>effort, if only to further peace in the world, our
>country and neighborhoods.

>-Jose Melendez

Please read on:
- snip

"Drug war, the antitrust. Unconstitutional? Right!"

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jose Melendez jose@xxxxxx
Date: Tue May 4, 2004 12:34:51 US/Eastern
To: mike.ferguson@co.nevada.ca.us,
peter.vanzant@co.nevada.ca.us,
keith.royal@co.nevada.ca.us
Subject: Fwd: antitrust violations
-snip
see also: http://www.marijuana.com/420/
showthread.php?p=288556#post288556

From: Jose Melendez jose@xxxxxxxx
Date: Tue May 4, 2004 12:13:49 US/Eastern
To: mike.ferguson@co.nevada.ca.us,
peter.vanzant@co.nevada.ca.us,
keith.royal@co.nevada.ca.us,
legalize@marijuana.com
Cc: newcase.atr@usdoj.gov, xxxx@becker-
poliakoff.com, others
Subject: antitrust violations

"Show me some law that says it's OK to do what
they're doing." Nevada County District Attorney
Michael Ferguson said. "I think it's illegal to disperse
marijuana."

STATUTORY PROVISIONS AND GUIDELINES
OF THE ANTITRUST DIVISION 1

1. SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1-7

§ 1 Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1

Trusts, etc., in restraint of trade illegal; penalty

Every contract, combination in the form of trust or
otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or
commerce among the several States, or with foreign
nations, is declared to be illegal. Every person who
shall make any contract or engage in any
combination or conspiracy hereby declared to be
illegal shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on
conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not
exceeding $10,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any
other person, $350,000, or by imprisonment not
exceeding three years, or by both said punishments,
in the discretion of the court.

§ 2 Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2

Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty

Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to
monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other
person or persons, to monopolize any part of the
trade or commerce among the several States, or with
foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony,
and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine
not exceeding $10,000,000 if a corporation, or, if
any other person, $350,000, or by imprisonment not
exceeding three years, or by both said punishments,
in the discretion of the court.

CLAYTON ACT, 15 U.S.C. §§ 12-27, 29 U.S.C. §§
52-53

§ 1 Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 12
Definitions; short title
(a) "Antitrust laws," as used herein, includes the Act
entitled "An Act to protect trade and commerce
against unlawful restraints and monopolies,"
approved July second, eighteen hundred and ninety;
sections seventy-three to seventy-seven, inclusive,
of an Act entitled "An Act to reduce taxation, to
provide revenue for the Government, and for other
purposes," of August twenty- seventh, eighteen
hundred and ninety-four; an Act entitled "An Act to
amend sections seventy-three and seventy-six of the
Act of August twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and
ninety-four, entitled 'An Act to reduce taxation, to
provide revenue for the Government, and for other
purposes,' " approved February twelfth, nineteen
hundred and thirteen; and also this Act.

"Commerce," as used herein, means trade or
commerce among the several States and with foreign
nations, or between the District of Columbia or any
Territory of the United States and any State,
Territory, or foreign nation, or between any insular
possessions or other places under the jurisdiction of
the United States, or between any such possession or
place and any State or Territory of the United States
or the District of Columbia or any foreign nation, or
within the District of Columbia or any Territory or
any insular possession or other place under the
jurisdiction of the United States: Provided, That
nothing in this Act contained shall apply to the
Philippine Islands.

The word "person" or "persons" wherever used in
this Act shall be deemed to include corporations and
associations existing under or authorized by the laws
of either the United States, the laws of any of the
Territories, the laws of any State, or the laws of any
foreign country.

(b) This Act may be cited as the "Clayton Act". § 2
Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 13(2)

Discrimination in price, services, or facilities

(a) Price; selection of customers
It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in
commerce, in the course of such commerce, either
directly or indirectly, to discriminate in price between
different purchasers of commodities of like grade
and quality, where either or any of the purchases
involved in such discrimination are in commerce,
where such commodities are sold for use,
consumption, or resale within the United States or
any Territory thereof or the District of Columbia or
any insular possession or other place under the
jurisdiction of the United States, and where the effect
of such discrimination may be substantially to lessen
competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line
of commerce, or to injure, destroy, or prevent
competition with any person who either grants or
knowingly receives the benefit of such
discrimination, or with customers of either of them:
Provided, That nothing herein contained shall
prevent differentials which make only due allowance
for differences in the cost of manufacture, sale, or
delivery resulting from the differing methods or
quantities in which such commodities are to such
purchasers sold or delivered: Provided, however,
That the Federal Trade Commission may, after due
investigation and hearing to all interested parties, fix
and establish quantity limits, and revise the same as
it finds necessary, as to particular commodities or
classes of commodities, where it finds that available
purchasers in greater quantities are so few as to
render differentials on account thereof unjustly
discriminatory or promotive of monopoly in any line
of commerce; and the foregoing shall then not be
construed to permit differentials based on
differences in quantities greater than those so fixed
and established: And provided further, That nothing
herein contained shall prevent persons engaged in
selling goods, wares, or merchandise in commerce
from selecting their own customers in bona fide
transactions and not in restraint of trade: And
provided further, That nothing herein contained shall
prevent price changes from time to time where in
response to changing conditions affecting the
market for or the marketability of the goods
concerned, such as but not limited to actual or
imminent deterioration of perishable goods,
obsolescence of seasonal goods, distress sales under
court process, or sales in good faith in
discontinuance of business in the goods concerned.

18 U.S.C. § 1031
MAJOR FRAUD AGAINST THE UNITED STATES(5)

(a) Whoever knowingly executes, or attempts to
execute, any scheme or artifice with the intent-- to
defraud the United States; or

to obtain money or property by means of false or
fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises,
in any procurement of property or services as a
prime contractor with the United States or as a
subcontractor or supplier on a contract in which
there is a prime contract with the United States, if
the value of the contract, subcontract, or any
constituent part thereof, for such property or
services is $1,000,000 or more shall, subject to the
applicability of subsection (c) of this section, be fined
not more than $1,000,000, or imprisoned not more
than 10 years, or both.

STATUTES THAT AFFECT THE COMPETITION
ADVOCACY OF THE ANTITRUST DIVISION
1. STATUTORY ANTITRUST IMMUNITIES
a. Agricultural Immunities
Section 6 Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 17
This Act permits, among other things, the operation
of agricultural or horticultural mutual assistance
organizations when such organizations do not have
capital stock or are not conducted for profit. See
supra Section A.3 (setting out full text of the Act).
Capper-Volstead Agricultural Producers'
Associations Act,

7 U.S.C. §§ 291-292

This Act allows persons engaged in the production
of agricultural products to act together for the
purpose of "collectively processing, preparing for
market, handling, and marketing" their products and
permits cooperatives to have "market agencies in
common." The Act also authorizes the Secretary of
Agriculture to proceed against cooperatives that
monopolize or restrain commerce to such an extent
that the price of an agricultural commodity is "unduly
enhanced."

- - -
US Constitution, Article III, Section 3. Treason
against the United States, shall consist only in
levying war against them, or in adhering to their
enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person
shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony
of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on
confession in open court.

See also: http://www.gwpharm.com/

Comment #2 posted by Jose Melendez on May 04,
2004 at 08:50:53 PT

Competition benefits the consumer.

Restraint of trade cheats the customer, enables
sales of inferior products, and violates hundreds of
years of antitrust law.

Re: "Amigula`s product will sell for $1.00 per gram.
"

http://www.investors.com/
breakingne...=21005686&brk=1

see also:

http://www.amigula.com/news/
sept1_03_amsterdam.html

http://www.thehempire.com/pm/weblog/
D20031205/

and from google.com's html version of the file
http://www.amigula.com/apply/pdf/
interim_policy.pdf

-snip
. . . your drug wars are
crimes against humanity, unconstitutional, antitrust
violations that are not worth funding, as they
verifiably increase societal and environmental harm.

- - -
still bored?

Ride a hybrid electric bike: http://evglobal.com/

or: watch TV:

http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/tv/cops/
miamivice.htm

If all else fails . . . have another drink!

(grin)

-jm

- - -
Yes! YOU can help!
http://dvdeland.com/mpp
http://rxpot.com

sent also to:

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/
form11.html?1
http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/
index.cfm#email
http://www.house.gov/mica/messageform.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/hotline2.htm
https://commerce18.pair.com/gap1/contactus.html
http://www.jameshoyer.com/practice_qui_tam.html
https://www.osc.gov/efile/dsp_login.asp : failed
secure connection
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/contacts/
comment_form.html
http://mapinc.org/feedback.htm
http://www.safesearching.com/billmaher/fan/

xxdr_zombiexx

There are some damned awful things going on in this country right now but all they can do is chase pot smokers.

Talk about fixated.

__________________
Alien Space Signal

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

Fear became the ultimate tool of this government - V.

dirtymick

Sometimes I am so glad to be living in America, other times, well, it can be a complete embarassement. Especially after reading an article where some business person, following the laws, loses a substantial amount of inventory due to the persecution of a 'drug' that has minor affects. In a day and age where popular views encourage people to not accept responsibility for their actions we continually see individual rights being confiscated by the government. Anybody remember the Third Reich? Thank God that at times like this, after reading the article, that I can ease my mind with a quick toke. By the way, I am 30 and I loved the Cat in the Hat. ****ing loved it. That movie was not directed entirely to minors.

DirtyMick

After reading an article like this I am almost ashamed to call myself an American. We tell the world that we offer freedom to all, unless you happen to own a business that conflicts with the agenda of the White House. I have never seen anyone under the age of 18 inside of a head shop. Some people forget that cartoons are not marketed to children only. I am 30 and loved the Cat in the Hat. When will this country decide that some aspects of life should not be dictated by the government and that we need to allow people the freedom of taking responsibility for their actions.