cannabisnews.com: Speed Trap For The Information Highway! Speed Trap For The Information Highway! Posted by FoM on August 12, 1999 at 10:40:05 PT John Holmstrom - Special to HT News Source: High Times A "methamphetamine prevention bill" currently before the US Senate, sponsored by right-wing Presidential candidate Orrin Hatch and California liberal Dianne Feinstein, seeks to make distribution "by any means" of information about "the manufacture or use of a controlled substance" a felony, punishable by 10 years in a federal penitentiary. That's any controlled substance, not just bathtub meth, and any information at all. So the targets of its enforcement would inevitably include all marijuana Websites, home pages and Internet chat rooms, along with HIGH TIMES Magazine and all the other books, pamphlets and publishing companies that deal with pot cultivation and use. Just linking a Website to a marijuana-friendly site could get someone three years in prison. Will this be America in the new Millennium? Are the Drug Warriors so desperate to stifle dissent against the Drug War that they now have to threaten reporters, editors and legitimate publishing operations with fines and imprisonment for communicating information about 'drugs?' Click the link to read the complete article:http://www.hightimes.com/ht/new/9908/speedtrap.htmlHatch-Feinstein Act Tramples First Amendment - 8/09/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2413.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 13, 1999 at 08:36:04 PT: Head Shop Closes But Controversy May Waft On! http://www.newspress.com/Pubdate: August 11, 1999After three months of what owners contend was a campaign of harassment, the Head Shop in Lompoc has closed.The Head Shop, in the 100 block of South H Street, sold items such as rolling papers and water pipes, or "bongs," which owners Becky and Dave Gage said were to be used for tobacco consumption. But city leaders said the store offered merchandise promoting a drug culture. Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce officials took the unprecedented step of denying the shop membership in their organization. Despite voicing disappointment that the shop closed, Becky Gage would say little about the situation, citing potential legal action. She would not elaborate on what type of lawsuit might be filed, or against whom. "There were vicious rumors being started," Becky Gage said. "People got scared to come in there. We got tired of the harassment." Although some city leaders contended the community was not willing to support the shop economically, Becky Gage said the store "did very well" financially. When the store opened in May, Dave Gage anticipated annual sales of about $100,000. In addition to the pipes, the Gages also sold black-light posters, candles, glow-in-the-dark stickers, ashtrays and lighters. The couple still runs a Head Shop in Santa Maria's Stowell Center, where similar items are sold. Mary Lou Phillips, a Lompoc resident who frequently visits the Ceramic Studio near the closed store, said she was "happy, happy" that the Head Shop had left town. "I think it will be better for everyone," she said. Phillips worried that the store's presence would contribute to drug use in the community. Although city officials are actively courting businesses to bolster the town's economy, Becky Gage said she "would discourage anyone from doing business in Lompoc." Mayor Dick DeWees did not return calls for comment Tuesday. But when the store opened in May, DeWees said, "I don't see it as something we need downtown." Denny Anderson, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, would not comment on the store's closure. It is not against the law to sell drug paraphernalia in California, but state ordinances limit the way items may be displayed. Head Shop Closes But Controversy May Waft On! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: