TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Senate version of a House bill that would outlaw the sale of marijuana pipes known as "bongs" has cleared a key legislative panel.
The Senate Criminal Justice committee approved the bill (SB 1140) unanimously on Monday.
State law now allows certain retailers to sell the pipes if at least 75 percent of their sales come from tobacco products or they have no more than 25 percent of "certain drug paraphernalia" sales.
The Senate and House bills (HB 49) would eliminate that exception and make any sale a first-degree misdemeanor. Second and subsequent violations would jump to a third-degree felony.
Rep. Darryl Rouson is sponsoring the effort in the House. Rouson is a self-described former drug user who wants to "take away the convenience" for addicts.
