Water in Bong Counts as a Drug in Minnesota October 29
A Minneapolis woman found out the hard way that a little left over bong water can get you in just as much trouble as the real thing. The Minnesota supreme court rules 4 to 3 that bong water that held traces of meth constituted a mixture with a controlled substance rather than just drug paraphernalia.
Sara Ruth Peck (the woman who is now going to be dealing with a retrial on her September 2007 drug arrest) first dealt with the police when they searched her home and found a bong that tested positive for meth along with a lighter and pipe. Her children ages 12 and 8 were home at the time and prompted charges of child endangerment along with felony fifth-degree drug possession for the bong.
The case for felony drug possession was originally thrown out when Peck argued that the water didn’t constitute a mixture under the state’s law. In the state of Minnesota 27 grams or more of meth constitutes first degree drug possession, the police in Pecks case counted the weight of the bong as well making her possession 37 grams at the time of her arrest.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the bong’s contents did indeed fit the mixture law as it is defined “a preparation, compound, mixture, or substance containing a controlled substance, regardless of purity.”. First degree rulings on drug possession generally result in 7 years of prison time which stands in extreme contrast to the $300 fine that Peck would be facing if the bong water was considered paraphernalia. Many consider the court’s ruling harsh and abusive of the law, only time will tell just how the case turns out for the defendant.
Tags: bong, drugs, meth, minnesota, mixture law, Substance Abuse
Johnny Maorz Oct 31
annd the shoe drops for reality…Who actually cares about the convicted minions, sorry..the suckers who fund the State’s tax base with fines and profit-driven prisons thinking it is OK to smoke pot because it is harmless. Yeah, it is..except your breaking the law and if you want real change in this country you have to change the laws first. Like normal people do, you know the ones who own all the wealth in this country thanks to your stupidity.
Stephen C Oct 31
Lol! J Maorz in his inept post talks about smoking pot when the article clearly talks about bong water containing some meth. Typical anti drug rant made by people who are proud to be ignorant. Keep spending your billions on your prisons and anti drug enforcement.