Attorney General John Ashcroft and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan of the Western District of Pennsylvania yesterday announced the indictment of 27 individuals on charges of selling drug paraphernalia.

In a nationwide investigation code named Operation Pipe Dreams, federal agents obtained court orders to shut down several internet sites that allegedly peddle the paraphernalia, with visitors to those Web sites now redirected to a DEA site that cites the law against sale of such items. More than 100 homes and businesses throughout the nation were raided, including a glass-pipe company owned by actor-comedian Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame. Forty-five drug paraphernalia businesses had their inventory seized, effectively putting them out of business. Chong was not one of those arrested.

The indictments spread across the country, from Pennsylvania to California, including Texas, Idaho, Ohio, Iowa, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina, Oregon, Michigan, and Washington state. Defendants have been charged with conspiracy to sell and offer for sale drug paraphernalia, with offering to sell drug paraphernalia and/or with actually selling items of drug paraphernalia on specified dates.

"With the advent of the Internet, the illegal drug paraphernalia industry has exploded," said Attorney General John Ashcroft in a statement. "Quite simply, the . . . industry has invaded the homes of families across the country without their knowledge. This illegal billion-dollar industry will no longer be ignored by law enforcement."

Federal law defines drug paraphernalia as those products that are primarily intended or designed to be used in ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise using controlled substances. This includes items such as marijuana pipes, cocaine freebase kits and miniature scales.

"These new arrests indicate an increasing politicalization in the war on drugs, and especially the war on marijuana," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. "It’s remarkable at a time when more than 1/3 of Americans think marijuana should be legal to target those involved with marijuana. It’s an absurd waste of resources."