UP IN SMOKE

WARMINSTER, Pa. -- A successful bong company which sold hundreds of water
pipes with names such as "Sneezy," "Dopey," "The Behemoth," "Tallboy" and
Garthog," was shut down yesterday following a two-week investigation which
began when the designer water pipes began showing up at local pot parties,
said officials.

Jason Greenwald, 27, and Lynette Salsbury, 24, owners of Half-Baked Ideas,
Inc., on Madison Avenue, in Warminster, allegedly shipped thousands of
bongs to head shops across the country since the company moved to Bucks
County from New York sometime last year, officials said.

Investigators yesterday expressed amazement at the size of some bongs which
sold for more than $400 and stood more than six feet high.

One bong, confiscated inside the factory, stood taller than Bucks County
District Attorney Diane Gibbons as she announced the arrests at the Bucks
County Courthouse.

"Police hauled more than two U-Haul truckloads of bongs and other items
from the company warehouse," Gibbons said.

According to the company brochure, the company in 1994 built a 12-foot
high, 2,000-pound bong to commemorate Woodstock's 25th anniversary.

Another bong on display yesterday was allegedly signed by Tommy Chong, who
made a series of comedic Cheech & Chong marijuana movies with partner
Cheech Marin back in the 1970s.

The company website, halfbakedideas.com, was linked to other marijuana
related cybersites before it was shut down by police.

Greenwald and Salsbury were arraigned on charges of possession with intent
to deliver drug paraphernalia, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities,
and criminal conspiracy and eventually released on $250,000 unsecured bail.

The couple, who are reportedly engaged and live on Belgrade Crescent, in
Yardley, could face huge fines and up to 10 years in prison if convicted
and sentenced on the harshest offenses.

Gibbons said police were tipped off to the company through an informant who
was busted at a party with a bong bearing the Half Baked company logo.

One pipe discovered inside the warehouse reportedly was so large it had to
be dissembled in order to be moved.

"Our most recent commission was to construct a special pipe for the Jane's
Addiction reunion show in New York City," a Half Baked company brochure said.

During the raid, police uncovered records indicating Half Baked Inc. did
business with more than 700 companies nationwide, much of it via the
Internet, said Gibbons.

The financial records indicated Half Baked manufactured hundreds of bongs
each week, and had been operating in Bucks for about a year.

Prior to that, the company was located in New York, officials said.

Gibbons noted that Greenwald took over the company in 1999 from his brother
Adam Greenwald, who died from a drug overdose.

Salsbury took care of the record keeping part of the business, while the
company's six employees did most of the actual manufacturing, police were told.

"While lots of comedians like to make light of drug use, this is a deadly
serious business," Gibbons said in response to the brother's death.

In addition to selling bongs, Half Baked also sold products designed to
alter a person's urine test, police said.

The investigation was coordinated by Northampton police Lt. Mike Clark,
county detectives, and Warminster police.

"This is the first time in county history police have busted a
manufacturing company rather than a retail outlet," Gibbons said.

"This company was able to move huge loads (of products) over the Internet
without attracting the attention of police," she added.

Gibson said it is difficult in a drug paraphernalia case to prove that the
operator intended the products be used for drug purposes.

The defendants, who reportedly graduated from Council Rock High School,
could not be reached last night for comment.