January 17, 2011 in Idaho

Cigar group wants Idaho to ban ‘blunt wraps’

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BOISE - The Cigar Association of America wants Idaho to outlaw “blunt wraps,” a type of roll-your-own cigar wrapper, as drug paraphernalia.

Russ Westerberg, lobbyist for the group, told the Idaho Senate Judiciary Committee today that “blunts” traditionally were cigars rolled in a single, continuous tobacco leaf, which had a blunt end as opposed to a tapered end. “In recent times, the term ‘blunt’ has become associated with marijuana or joints,” he told lawmakers.

The wrappers, which are made of tobacco, often flavored, and sold in cigar stores and convenience stores for little more than a dollar apiece, “are becoming popular with users of marijuana and other illegal substances,” Westerberg said. “If there is a legitimate use, at a minimum any legitimate use of a blunt wrap would pale in comparison with the illegal one,” he declared. “Near as we can tell, there is no legitimate use for a cigar wrap.”

Senators on the panel had some questions, but voted unanimously to introduce the bill. Said Sen. Denton Darrington, R-Declo, the committee chairman, “It is so typical of what we’ve faced within the whole drug culture - they’re always coming out with some new technology to be ahead of us.”

Westerberg told the senators that if there’s any legitimate use for the products, those who legitimately use them can make their case when the bill comes up for a hearing.

He said the tobacco in the wrapper, plus the flavoring, are popular with marijuana users because they can help disguise the marijuana aroma.

The bill, as introduced, would ban “blunt wraps, including individual tobacco wrappers, also known as wraps or roll your own cigar wraps, that are made wholly or in part from tobacco, including reconstituted tobacco, whether in the form of a leaf, sheet or tube, and that are used to hold any burning material or illegal substance.”

14 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  deacon46 on January 17 at 2:28 p.m.

  It is this “stuff” that we the tax payers are fed up with. How about doing some serious business. Stuff that has meaning to the tax payers.

• 

  flutieflakes on January 17 at 3:40 p.m.

  The Cigar Association of America wants blunt wraps outlawed to force blunt smokers to buy their products instead. If you ban blunt wraps, smokers will just buy blunts, and take out the tobacco. It’s not rocket science.

  Good to know lawmakers are in touch with their constituents.

• 

  misjustice on January 17 at 4:13 p.m.

  If Ideeho criminalizes blunts then only criminals will have blunts…geez, is this really THAT important? Really?

• 

  Dazee on January 17 at 4:31 p.m.

  flutie: Unwrapping Philly Blunts is how it all started in the first place. I see the packaged wraps as a way to save resources. This way the stoners don’t have to waste all that tobacco in the cigars!

  I like how a person who has never smoked weed states why weed smokers use a certain product, and while doing so, reveals their complete ignorance. We use blunt wraps not to disguise the scent of the smoke. We use them because they get us higher, make the experience more flavorful and it makes us feel a little gangsta!

• 

  WTGorWTF on January 17 at 4:37 p.m.

  Wait, why don’t we outlaw lighters? That way no one can smoke their drugs!

• 

  flutieflakes on January 17 at 4:47 p.m.

  I love how someone representing the producers of Backwoods and Grape Swishers is questioning whether or not there is a legitimate use for a product.

• 

  karl2002 on January 17 at 4:54 p.m.

  Just say no to banning more products. MJ should be legal in the first place and it’s pretty tiring to see blatant efforts from industry groups to legislate rules that hamper competing products.

  Time to send Sen. Darrington packing, along with the rest of the panel that voted to introduce this bill

• 

  edmond on January 17 at 5:26 p.m.

  Yah those darn stoners always coming up with new technologies to frustrate the law… like rolling pot up in a leaf. Sheesh. What’s next, a proposal to ban rolling papers?

• 

  dallison on January 17 at 5:37 p.m.

  There’s a reason it’s called dope.Mainly because only dopes smoke it and want it legalized!

• 

  Thoreau on January 17 at 6:24 p.m.

  What the hell do they care? Next we’ll here about beer companies angry over poking holes in the cans to “shotgun” beers.

• 

  misjustice on January 17 at 6:56 p.m.

  Or knife companies and manufacturers of electric ranges mad about “hot knives”. Hmmmmm….this could get waaaaay outta hand!

• 

  Exiled_in_Seattle on January 17 at 7:49 p.m.

  We spend billions of tax dollars fighting to ensure that Americans cannot not have access to non-approved drugs.

  The fact that it does not work, enriches criminals (foreign and domestic), and corrupts our justice system doesn’t appear to matter.

• 

  chouligirl on January 19 at 7:44 p.m.

  this is all so ridiculously amusing…idaho doesn’t have any paraphernalia shops…idahoans have to go to that big bad spokanistan to get their supplies. seems like harassment to the smoke shops again. first 4 loco, next incense, now wraps…don’t these folks have bigger, more important things to do than this???

• 

  chouligirl on January 19 at 7:44 p.m.

  oh, and dallison,
  no one calls it dope…except you.