BEND CRACKS DOWN ON BONG SALES

As of Wednesday night, is no longer legal to sell bongs, pipes and other
drug paraphernalia in Bend.

The Bend City Council repealed a city law that pertained to the licensing
of any "accessory or thing which is designed or marketed for use with
illegal cannabis or drugs" after Councilor John Hummel noticed that the
city had regulated a practice that was illegal by state standards.

"We were, in essence, allowing something that's illegal," Hummel said.

The law was repealed by unanimous council consent.

In 1984, the city adopted a law that sought to regulate paraphernalia sales
through licensing and record keeping. Anyone who wanted to operate a head
shop could do so if they registered and paid a fee at City Hall.

In the 1980s, pipe shops proliferated in the city, said Bend attorney Jim
Forbes.

In exchange for the ability to sell the goods, shop keepers had to record
the names and addresses of who bought pipes or other drug- related items.
The books were to be made available to police on request.

In 1989, the state of Oregon adopted a law that said selling paraphernalia
was a crime - but permits were still being issued for businesses in Bend.

Last January, someone applied for a permit to sell paraphernalia, said
Forbes. That permit led the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team to the
seller, who was eventually arrested for selling drugs.

But the dealer had a city-issued, legal permit to sell paraphernalia,
Hummel noted.

Hummel discovered the obsolete law during a regular fee review. Forbes
called him "sharp-eyed" for finding the discrepancy.

Hummel said simply: "The city shouldn't be issuing licenses to do something
that's illegal."