Moves to weed out retailers and make bongs a pipe dream
THE ''green'' movement in Victoria has been dealt another blow by Premier Ted Baillieu: his election promise to ban the bong wasn't just smoke and mirrors.
The newly-elected Coalition government will introduce legislation outlawing the sale and possession of bongs, the water pipes popular with some cannabis users and, until now, available legally in more than 100 outlets across Victoria.
Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge told The Sunday Age the required amendments to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 will be tabled next year in line with previous bans of ice pipes and cocaine kits. Consumer Affairs Victoria inspectors will police the ban.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Ms Wooldridge said there would be an education period for retailers - essentially a transition period leading up to enforcement. ''This isn't about surprising retailers and penalising them for something they didn't know about. We will do our best that people are informed,'' Ms Wooldridge said.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/moves-to-weed-out-retailers-and-make-bongs-a-pipe-dream-20101204-18kse.htmlFor those who like banning things to save dollars on health care, or to protect sinners from not being as moral as you are, this will probably become law here in the US pretty quick. For some reason I am having visions of the Borg (and for the record, I don't use bongs or smoke pot - thought I would mention that because if I say something about smoking people see me as biased. I am also not gay and I favor a repeal of DADT and allowing - shame we have to use that word here - gays to marry. I also cannot have an abortion, but I still stand up for that thing I thought the left cared about called 'choice')