BONG SHOP COUPONS SPARK DEBATE

Nick Lauritsen serves up a variety of bongs and such behind the old
Crossroads flea market in the city's northeast.

He's the president of a new pipe and novelty store called Bongs and Such
that recently gained notoriety after 30,000 Calgarians received coupon
leaflets featuring a marijuana leaf smoking a joint.

"We've had two complaints but overall the response was really good," says
Lauritsen.

The leaflets included a 10 per cent discount and Lauritsen reports the
six-week-old shop has seen a lot of traffic. His customers range in age
from 18 to early 60s.

"We see everything from doctors and lawyers to plumbers," he says.

Bongs and Such recently sent out another batch of 30,000 to 40,000 leaflets
through Canada Post.

"We'd be interested in hearing what people think," says Lauritsen.

At Bongs and Such, Lauritsen is used to hearing what people think.

"We're like the barber or the bartender; people ask us about everything,"
he says.

Lauritsen says the shift toward medical marijuana is also bringing more
people through his store's door.

Maxx Boudreau, who works at The Hemporium, a similar store located on
trendy 17th Avenue S.W., has noticed the same trend.

"We have so many people in here who use it (marijuana) for medicinal
purposes," she says.