Chong Charges Bong Bust Bogus

[The Straight Story]

Chong Charges Bong Bust Bogus

This week, Entertainment Weekly takes on the case of Tommy Chong vs. the Drug Enforcement Administration. Chong, you may remember, spent some time in federal prison after being nailed in Operation Pipe Dreams, a DEA effort attacking the drug paraphernalia industry. He insists he was targeted because of his celebrity, and maintains the DEA planted an employee inside his family bong company. That doesn't sit well with Mary Beth Buchanan, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania and chief Operation Pipe Dreams prosecutor. Here's what she had to say about Chong's charges:

We identified all the major suppliers from around the country who were offering these illegal products for sale, and the business run by Chong and his family was one of those distributors. There were no employees of the DEA or agents of the DEA who were working in Chong's business. That's the polite way of saying, 'Bulls -- -.'

http://www.govexec.com/fedblog/#1757

http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1217355_1_0_,00.html

[acmejack]

1. There is no way that is celebrity did not play into it!

They can claim anything they want, but he was far from the biggest, the oldest or the most well known manufacturer or distributor of such items. Mary Beth Buchanan compromises her credibility, a problem endemic among our government officials in the * maladministration.

[uppityperson]

2. that is such a good headline. very good writing.

[blonndee]

5. I was just about to say the same thing!

We used to have a headline of the week award at my campus paper. It was fun to try to come up with good ones. And much more difficult than I expected.

[sgxnk]

3. this was a

stupid case

even for the war on drugs

and that is saying a lot

[slackmaster]

4. Awesome alliterlation, take two toke(n)s

:toast:

[Lochloosa]

6. I have a suggestion for Ms. Buchanan. Google "Bongs"

1.85 million hits....



The Terminator
Have you ever seen a bong this wicked before?

The terminator's 4 chamber design filters and cools the smoke ensuring a clean hit
time after time

[MoseyWalker]

13. I meant to reply to the 1.85 million hits

part a little while ago, but..........I forgot!

I thought that was almost as good as the alliteration.

:toast:

[Ms. Clio]

7. amazing they can spend so much time and money on bongs

But Oxycontin Rush somehow snags the Get Out of Jail Free card.

[sandnsea]

8. Did they use the Patriot Act??

That's what I've always wanted to know. My impression was that this was in internet generated bust which would have been illegal before the Patriot Act. I thought there would be a lot more ruckus in that direction, never was. And, of course, still lots of bong shops online and off - stupid waste of time and money.

And how the hell did we let Tommy Chong sit in prison over a bong? Boomer generation really can be pathetic sometimes.

[Ilsa]

9. But can you say it three time really fast? nt

[The Straight Story]

11. I can't even think it three times fast :) (nt)

[symbolman]

10. Takebackthemedia.com

created a "FREE TOMMY CHONG" T-Shirt which we used as a fund raiser on the site, as I considered this case to be bullshit, entraptment, and a free speech issue .. from what I understand Tommy saw or was given a shirt and liked them, wonder if he remembers or still has one :)

Love to see him wearing it, would make my day!

[tridim]

12. BONGS ARE NOT ILLEGAL GAWD DAMMIT!

Why does she insist they are?