Kink Friendly Law

During lunch I was prowling the various cigar blogs I read from time to time, and came upon a disturbing story of yet another bad law drafted with the noble purpose of combating drug use which is destined to fail miserably.  Implementing this law will no more affect drug use than mandatory minimum sentencing has. This law will only force law abiding cigar smokers to purchase their single cigars outside the reach of this newly proposed Washington D.C. law.

 

“[I]n a move that could prove disastrous for Washington tobacconists, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty plans to criminalize the sale of single cigars in the nation’s capital. His justification is to curb marijuana blunt consumption. But, as the proposed law is currently written, it doesn’t discriminate between premium cigars and cheap, machine-made sticks that are normally purchased at convenience stores and gas stations. “The bottom line is that this is bad legislation that won’t do what it is intended to do—stop the use of marijuana,” said Legislative Director Chris McCalla in an IPCPR press release. “The only thing it will do is irreparable harm to owners of cigar stores, their employees, and loyal customers who enjoy premium cigars.” A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for September 29.”

 

As an assistant district attorney I can appreciate and understand any politician wanting to curb drug use in their community. And living in Atlanta I’m very familiar with the urban practice of taking a cheap cigar opening it up and removing some or most of the tobacco and replacing that with marijuana. Viola you have blunt. But the prosed ban on the sale of single cigars is not only a bad law, its just plain stupid. Banning the sale of single cigars will not curb the use or sale of marijuana, if for no other reason there are too many alternative methods to smoke marijuana. All this law is going to accomplish is that the District of Columbia will lose the tax revenues generated by the sale of single cigars.

 

I hope during the public hears scheduled in late September the flaws in this proposed new law are brought squarely into focus illuminating all the pitfalls and potential problems this new legislation contains, my hope is cooler heads will prevail and this bad law will simply fade away.  As aside perhaps Mayor Fenty should consider banning  the glass tubes sold at so many urban convenience stores across the county that have absolutely no use except as a “straight shooter” to be used for smoking rock or “crack” cocaine. Since a ban on these devices might actually put a dent in smoking crack.