Trial for Store Accused of Selling Drug Paraphernalia Begins

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Posted: 10:51 PM Apr 2, 2008
Last Updated: 10:51 PM Apr 2, 2008
Reporter: 13 News

8 comments

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A Topeka Municipal Court trial got underway Wednesday for a local business owner accused of selling drug paraphernalia.

Thomas Houston is charged with three counts of delivery of drug paraphernalia through his store, The Groove Shack.

A city spokesperson says Houston is charged, in part, under recent changes in state law which allow evidence that an item can be used to store or introduce a controlled substance into the body. The changes are meant to target novelty items such as pipes that can be used to smoke drugs. The city says, in a raid of the store, law enforcement seized many items they considered drug paraphernalia.

Houston's trial is expected to last three days. A Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent familiar with drug paraphernalia was to testify Thursday. The city says it's the largest trial they've had under the drug paraphernalia ordinance.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: gerald Location: topekkka on Apr 30, 2008 at 02:44 AM
hahaha "why dont you just overdose and get out of poverty where you are?" you sir, are a dumbass.

Posted by: Paul L Whalen Location: Lawrence on Apr 23, 2008 at 01:53 PM
As a rash conservative I believe this Law can work and art the same time can not work because anything can be paraphenalia, however pipes made for crack and meth are exclusively used for crack and meth. However, marijuana pipes can also be used for tobacco and many times are. If we are to prosecute head shops for selling paraphernalia, we should also prosecute the pepsi, coca cola, and 7up companies for selling paraphernalia because crack, meth, and heroin addicts use their aluminum cans to get high. In that same regard Kansas needs to prosecute Bic's line of pens because many use the shafts to snort cocaine and also their razor brand to carve lines to snort. I congradulate the law on ridding Kansas of meth and crack pipes, however it creates too many gray areas with banning glass pipes, vaporizers, and bongs which can and are many times use to smoke tobacco. Prosecuting head shop owners is a waste of our tax dollars and time, because it does not slow down the drug war one bit.

Posted by: M Location: Kansas on Apr 4, 2008 at 08:07 PM
TO FUNNY

Posted by: cliff Location: wichita on Apr 4, 2008 at 07:17 AM
travis, you are a dope.as an x pipe smoker, I know the difference between a pot pipe and a tobacco pipe, the bowl is bigger on the tobacco pipes. the bowls are real small on the dope pipes. why is it that all dopers want others to be dopers too? why dont you just overdose and get out of poverty where you are?

Posted by: travis Location: topeka on Apr 3, 2008 at 03:28 PM
hey cliff shut your mouth, you are ignorant. only rednecks and hillbillies drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, those are unconstitutional and so is being a redneck or a hillbilly which i beleive you could probably be labled as. oh btw cliff pipes are not designed for dope smoking alone (although the groove shack's pipes are exclusivly for that purpose) people have been smoking tobacco out of pipes for a long time. Im also still looking for the redeaming social value that you have but i cant seem to find any so i guess we should ban u as well??

Posted by: cliff Location: wichita on Apr 3, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Pipes designed for dope smoking, things designed to hide drugs. what redeaming social value here? only dopers buy this stuff. dope is unconstitutional.

Posted by: martin Location: 66943 on Apr 3, 2008 at 10:17 AM
I bleave that the ordance is unconstional

Posted by: Art Location: Topeka on Apr 3, 2008 at 09:18 AM
What about all the convenience stores that sell glass pipes disguised as some other "useful" item?