Posted on: Thursday, January 8, 2004

EDITORIAL
Get pipes for ice off the store shelves

A gallon of milk, a loaf of bread and an ice pipe?

You heard right. As Hawai'i battles a long and devastating crystal methamphetamine epidemic, devices created to smoke the drug are being legally sold at mom-and-pop stores.

Hawai'i is among more than a dozen states that do not specifically prohibit the sale of drug paraphernalia, although the sale of such devices is clearly a violation of federal law.

And U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo is more than wise to this discrepancy. Tuesday, federal agents and Honolulu police raided 10 O'ahu convenience stores that were selling drug paraphernalia.

It's not as though those arrested didn't know what they were selling. Undercover agents and officers who purchased the paraphernalia had to establish that the owner or employee knew what the merchandise was for.

Those arrested face federal charges that could amount to three years in prison, a $250,000 fine and forfeiture of property and money associated with the sale of the illegal goods, according to Advertiser police reporter Peter Boylan.

While the penalties might seem a bit stiff, it would be hypocritical of the state to allow the sale of drug paraphernalia while banning the drug. It's not unlike our approach to cockfighting: While Hawai'i law prohibits the sport, it allows people to keep and train birds for cockfighting.

Apparently, Gov. Linda Lingle plans to ask the Legislature to bring state drug paraphernalia laws more in line with federal laws.

That said, we don't want to encourage a full-scale Ashcroftian witch hunt for cigarette rolling papers and hemp products.

But it certainly would help the war on ice if Islanders couldn't purchase glass pipes at their neighborhood convenience store.