Head shop

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The "Nirvana" head shop in Dublin, Ireland. A large image of a cannabis leaf adorns the front of the store. Nirvana head shop.jpg
The "Nirvana" head shop in Dublin, Ireland. A large image of a cannabis leaf adorns the front of the store.
Bongs and pipes on display at a typical head shop Red Eye Headshop Oxford.JPG
Bongs and pipes on display at a typical head shop
The "Electric Fetus" head shop in Saint Cloud, Minnesota (closed) Electic Fetus Saint Cloud.jpg
The "Electric Fetus" head shop in Saint Cloud, Minnesota (closed)

A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis and tobacco and items related to cannabis culture and related countercultures. They emerged from the hippie counterculture in the late 1960s, and at that time, many of them had close ties to the anti-Vietnam War movement as well as groups in the marijuana legalization movement like LeMar, Amorphia, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. [1]

Contents

Products sold may include magazines (e.g., about cannabis culture, cannabis cultivation, tattooing, and music), clothing, and home décor (e.g., posters and wall hangings illustrating drug culture themes such as cannabis, jam bands like The Grateful Dead, Phish, psychedelic art, etc.). Some head shops also sell oddities, such as antique walking sticks and sex toys. Since the 1980s, some head shops have sold clothing related to the heavy metal or punk subculture, such as band T-shirts and cloth patches with band logos, studded wristbands, bullet belts, and leather boots. Other items offered typically include hashish pipes, "one hitter" pipes; pipe screens; bongs (also referred to as water pipes [2] ); roach clips (used for smoking the end of a marijuana "joint"); vaporizers used for inhaling THC vapor from cannabis; rolling papers; rolling machines; small weighing scales; small ziplock baggies; cannabis grinders (i.e. herb grinders); blacklight-responsive posters and blacklights; incense; cigarette lighters; "stashes", which include a range of standard consumer products such as clocks, books, tins of cleaning powder, and toilet brushes which have hidden compartments for cannabis and non-camouflaged "stash boxes" which are tins or wooden containers for storing marijuana; and legal highs such as whipped-cream chargers (which contain nitrous oxide) and Salvia divinorum (both of which are illegal in some countries and some US states for recreational purposes). Some head shops also sell items used for home cultivation of marijuana plants, such as hydroponic equipment and lights and guidebooks on cultivation. Since the 2000s, some head shops also sell e-cigarettes and the flavoured liquids used with these devices.

History

American head shops originated in the 1960s in cities with high concentrations of college-age youth, often growing out of independently owned poster or candle stores. Historically, U.S. head shops proliferated on St. Mark's Place in New York City's East Village, in West Los Angeles, in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, and in Chicago's Old Town. Sources cite the Psychedelic Shop on Haight Street in San Francisco as the first head shop in the United States. [3] [4] [5] Operated by United States Army veteran Ron Thelin and his younger brother Jay, it opened on January 3, 1966. Four months later Jeff Glick opened "Head Shop" on East Ninth Street in New York City. [6] Also in 1966, The Birmingham Balloon Company opened at 113 Fry Street in Denton, Texas.[ citation needed ]

From 1968 to c. 1975, head shops served as an important outlet for underground newspapers and the underground comix of Robert Crumb and other counterculture cartoonists, which had little access to the established channels of newsstand distribution. [7]

The shops' popularity eventually waned with the aging of that era's baby boomer generation, as well as a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Miller v. California, that found that local communities could decide their own First Amendment standards concerning obscenity. In the mid-1970s, the sale of drug paraphernalia was outlawed in many places, and the distribution network for underground comics and newspapers dried up. [8] In addition, the retail mainstream discovered and co-opted aspects of the head shop's market niche, such as acid rock and eco-friendly products.

Legality

Ireland

Head shops exist and are legal in Ireland, and were reported by authorities to be opening at a rate of one per week in January 2010. [9] The legality of the shops was discussed in the Seanad Éireann, and a motion was passed requesting the Government to regulate the sale of products. [9] Some politicians were in favour of outlawing the shops whereas others argued that prohibiting the purchases of legal intoxicants would be a "huge mistake" which would allow illegal street dealers to thrive. [10]

During early 2010, a number of incidents of firebombing and arson against head shops took place around the country. [11] [12] Some attacks were traced to disgruntled drug dealers. [13] [14] One petrol bomb attack occurred in the home county of the then Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, and hours later, plans for legislation for regulation of head shops got underway. [15]

Many head shop products became illegal in Ireland on 23 August 2010 [16] when the new Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 became law. [17] The Act empowered Gardaí (Irish police) to seek court orders to close head shops suspected of selling drug-like products, with the onus on the owners to prove they are not doing so.

United States

In the United States, head shops are legal so long as they only sell items used for legal substances. Shops typically place signs stating that the products sold are "for tobacco use only" or "not for use with illegal substances". [18] In many head shops, a sign will be posted (and often reiterated verbally) stating that customer references regarding the use of the shop's products for illegal drug use will result in the suspension of all sales for that time period, and/or removal of the customer from the shop. In some shops, simply saying the word "bong" is grounds for removal from the shop. [2]

Head shops have been targeted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. In 2003, The U.S. Department of Justice indicted fifty-five people on charges of selling drug paraphernalia in Idaho, Texas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio as part of Operation Headhunter and Operation Pipe Dreams, including comedian Tommy Chong. [19] During the investigation, government officials also targeted customers of the shops, arresting those who were in possession of drugs like cannabis and heroin. [20] Chong was caught by sending shipments through the mail. Today, online head shops have also become prevalent; there are hundreds of head shops willing to sell their products online.

The legality of cannabis varies widely in the United States, but in states where medical cannabis is legal, cannabis dispensaries often double as head shops. [21]

Notably, in the state of Florida, items "designed for use in ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing cannabis, cocaine, hashish, hashish oil, or nitrous oxide into the human body" are illegal. At the same time, "pipes primarily made of briar, meerschaum, clay, or corn cob" are legal. [22] [23]

Smart shops

Smart shops are shops, prominently found in the Netherlands, where the sale of marijuana is practically legal, which sell psychoactive substances and various smokable herbs in addition to the drug paraphernalia found in head shops.

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hashish</span> Traditional oleoresin derived from cannabis (drug)

Hashish, also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds containing the most trichomes. It is consumed by smoking, typically in a pipe, bong, vaporizer or joint, or via oral ingestion. Hash has a long history of usage in countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon. Hash consumption is also popular in Europe. In the United States, dried flowers or concentrates are more popular, though hash has seen a rise in popularity following changes in law. Like many recreational drugs, multiple synonyms and alternative names for hash exist, and vary greatly depending on the country and native language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bong</span> Device used for smoking tobacco, cannabis, or other herbal drugs

A bong is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the gas flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prohibition of drugs</span> Overview of the prohibition of drugs

The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug paraphernalia</span> Items associated with recreational drug use

"Drug paraphernalia" is a term to denote any equipment, product or accessory that is intended or modified for making, using or concealing drugs, typically for recreational purposes. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine are related to a wide range of paraphernalia. Paraphernalia generally fall into two categories: user-specific products and dealer-specific products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Chong</span> Canadian actor and comedian

Thomas B. Kin Chong is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, musician, activist. He is known for his marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox's That '70s Show. He became a naturalized United States citizen in the late 1980s.

A smart shop is a retail establishment that specializes in the sale of psychoactive substances, usually including psychedelics, as well as related literature and paraphernalia. The name derives from the name "smart drugs", a class of drugs and food supplements intended to affect cognitive enhancements which are often sold in smart shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis (drug)</span> Psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant

Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various traditional medicines for centuries. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within food, or as an extract.

A gravity bong, also known as a GB, geebie, bucket bong, grav, geeb, yoin, jib, buckie or ghetto bong, is a method of consuming smokable substances such as cannabis. The term describes both a bucket bong and a waterfall bong, since both use air pressure and water to draw smoke. A lung uses similar equipment but instead of water draws the smoke by removing a compacted plastic bag or similar from the chamber.

Lacing or cutting, are drug slangs for the act of using a substance to adulterate substances independent of the reason. The resulting substance are refereed by the slang terms laced or cut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis smoking</span> Inhalation of marijuana fumes

Cannabis smoking is the inhalation of smoke or vapor released by heating the flowers, leaves, or extracts of cannabis and releasing the main psychoactive chemical, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs. Archaeological evidence indicates cannabis with high levels of THC was being smoked at least 2,500 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug</span> Substance having effect(s) on the body of an individual

A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, absorption via a patch on the skin, suppository, or dissolution under the tongue.

Operation Pipe Dreams was an American nationwide investigation in 2003 targeting businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly marijuana pipes and bongs, under a little-used statute. Due to the reluctance of state law-enforcement agencies to contribute resources to the operation, most cases were filed in Iowa and Pennsylvania, taking advantage of the statute's prohibition on the use of "the mails or any other facility of interstate commerce to transport drug paraphernalia."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spots (cannabis)</span> Method of smoking marijuana

Spots refers to a method of smoking cannabis. In this method, small pieces of cannabis are rolled to form the "spot". The practice originated in the 1970s when drops or dabs of hashish oil were smoked. Generally, the tips of two knife blades are heated, the spot is compressed between the two blades, and the subsequent smoke is inhaled through the nose or mouth. Another means that is gaining popularity is specially made glass presses heated with a propane or butane torch. In order to facilitate this process, a "spottle" or "hitter" is often, but not always, used to funnel the smoke and maximize the amount inhaled. A spottle is generally made from a funnel or cone-shaped container, such as the top of a plastic or glass bottle or a gallon of milk/water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis consumption</span> Methods of marijuana administration

Cannabis consumption refers to the variety of ways cannabis is consumed, among which inhalation and ingestion are most common. All consumption methods involve heating the plant's THCA to decarboxylate it into THC, either at the time of consumption or during preparation. Salves and absorption through the skin (transdermal) are increasingly common in medical uses, both of CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids. Each method leads to subtly different psychoactive effects due to the THC and other chemicals being activated, and then consumed through different administration routes. It is generally considered that smoking, which includes combustion toxins, comes on quickly but lasts for a short period of time, while eating delays the onset of effect but the duration of effect is typically longer. In a 2007 ScienceDaily report of research conducted at the University of California–San Francisco, researchers reported that vaporizer users experience the same biological effect, but without the toxins associated with smoking. Δ9-THC is the primary component when inhaled, but when eaten the liver converts this to the more psychoactive 11-hydroxy-THC form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Synthetic cannabinoids</span> Designer drugs

Synthetic cannabinoids are a class of designer drug molecules that bind to the same receptors to which cannabinoids in cannabis plants attach. These novel psychoactive substances should not be confused with synthetic phytocannabinoids or synthetic endocannabinoids from which they are in many aspects distinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grow shop</span>

A grow shop or growshop is a retail store that sells equipment and supplies for growing plants indoors. Types include stores selling hydroponic systems for horticulture, and those devoted to cannabis cultivation.

Hoffman Estates v. The Flipside, Hoffman Estates, Inc., 455 U.S. 489 (1982), is a United States Supreme Court decision concerning the vagueness and overbreadth doctrines as they apply to restrictions on commercial speech. The justices unanimously upheld an ordinance passed by a Chicago suburb that imposed licensing requirements on the sale of drug paraphernalia by a local record store. Their decision overturned the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Egypt</span> Use of cannabis in Egypt

Cannabis in Egypt is illegal, however it is widely used but not publicly. Law enforcements are often particularly lax when it comes to Cannabis smokers. Also, its use is a part of the common culture in the country for many people. Large-scale smuggling of cannabis is punishable by death, while penalties for possessing even small amounts can also be severe. Despite this, these laws are not enforced in many parts of Egypt, where cannabis is often consumed openly in local cafes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Nepal</span> Use of cannabis in Nepal

Cannabis in Nepal has been illegal since 1976, but the country has a long history of use of cannabis for Ayurvedic medicine, intoxicant and as a holy offering for Hindu god Shiva and continues to produce cannabis illicitly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of cannabis terms</span>

Terms related to cannabis include:

References

  1. ↑ Joshua Clark Davis, From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs, New York: Columbia University Press, 2017
  2. 1 2 Pela, Robert L (16 February 2006). "Head Games". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  3. ↑ Christopher, Rob; Neil Montgomery (2009). "A Cannabis Chronology". UKCIA.org. The United Kingdom Cannabis Internet Activists www.offyourheadshop.com. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  4. ↑ Juanis, J.C. (2004). "Allen Cohen 1940-2004". SFHeart.com. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Henderson, Jennifer. "Beloved activist in Valley dies". Point Reyes Light. Tomales Bay Publishing Company. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  6. ↑ Smith, Howard. "Scenes". Village Voice, June 23, 1966.
  7. ↑ Goodwin, Mike. "Youngsters of All Ages Free to Browse Among Hashish Pipes, Obscene Comic Books and Posters". Los Angeles Times, Apr. 9, 1972, pg. SF A1.
  8. ↑ Estren, Mark James (1993). "Foreword: Onward!". A History of Underground Comics. Ronin Publishing. pp. 7–8; 10. ISBN   0-914171-64-X.
  9. 1 2 "Dramatic increase in 'head shops'". RTÉ. 2010-01-26.
  10. ↑ "'Head shops' booming as row rages over legal highs". Sunday Independent. By Aislinn hughes. Sunday February 07 2010.
  11. ↑ "€500,000 cash found in Dublin 'head shop' after fire". Irishtimes.com. 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  12. ↑ Sligo head shop & adult store damaged in fire, RTÉ News, 11 March 2010
  13. ↑ 'Head shops' target of pipe bomb attack Irish Independent 2010-03-11.
  14. ↑ Garda superintendent slams "reckless" pipe bomb act Westmeath Independent, 2010-03-18.
  15. ↑ Fire breaks out at head shop in Dundalk, Irish Times 16 April 2010
  16. ↑ S.I. No. 401/2010 — Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 (Commencement) Order 2010. Irish Statute Book. 2010-08-17.
  17. ↑ Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 Irish Statute Book.
  18. ↑ "Language Policy". Knuckleheads Tobacco & Gifts. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  19. ↑ Derienzo, Paul (14 September 2005). "Why we all can't just get a bong". Anchorage Press. Archived from the original on April 5, 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  20. ↑ Ove, Torsten; Ernie Hoffman (26 February 2003). "Head shops remain open after taking hit from U.S." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  21. ↑ Dai, Serena (4 August 2013). "Smoke Shops Want To Become Dispensaries In Chicago On Heels Of Medical Weed Legalization". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  22. ↑ Florida HB 49: Drug Paraphernalia Chapter 2013-111
  23. ↑ Berman, Matt (6 June 2013). "Florida: Say Goodbye to Your Bongs". National Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
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