For many, “paraphernalia” is a word that carries as much stigma as the word “marijuana.” To some, it was the name of a charge you could get in most places in the United States not too long ago; “possession of paraphernalia,” etc. But the word paraphernalia itself simply means “the equipment needed for a particular activity.” A baseball glove would be baseball “paraphernalia.” When it comes to cannabis consumption, any equipment you use for that consumption would be cannabis paraphernalia.
As mentioned, it was not too long ago that cannabis paraphernalia possession was a crime in many places in the U.S., and still is in some corners of the country. Comedy legend Tommy Chong went to jail for 9 months for selling bongs on the Internet in 2003.
But with the spread of cannabis legalization laws in the U.S. – especially over the last 5 years – has come a loosening of paraphernalia laws in many parts of the country. What was once something that got you jail time has now become big business as legalization has merged with the rise of the Internet to create a massive online marketplace for cannabis paraphernalia.
In fact, legalization has spurred innovation unseen in the marijuana paraphernalia market before. “We have seen a large amount of new products with new designs and percs introduced in the last few years,” Dave from Dank Geek, an online headshop*, told The Marijuana Times. “It’s almost like the fashion industry, glass companies are coming out with new designs and phasing out old ones every year to provide the hottest bong or dab rig.
“This promotes innovation and as a result, a lot of new and cool products are introduced every year.”
Imagine being told 10 years ago that one day people would be comparing the industry that sells bongs to the fashion industry. After all, people weren’t being charged with crimes for selling or wearing dresses seen on the catwalks of Paris and New York City. This really encapsulates just how fast things are moving when it comes to marijuana law reform.
Percs and pipes are especially big sellers at Dank Geek, and Dave sees a market that includes both classic designs and all the innovation the industry can muster. “We see the industry expanding exponentially as more states embrace legalization,” he told us. “Classic smoking devices will always remain in demand and as staple. A large majority of new smokers embrace these simple and classic smoking devices so there will always be a demand. Technology and innovation will go hand-in-hand with the classics.”
*Use code MJT to get 15% off your entire order at Dank Geek, excluding vapes.
so is this legal know?