Welcome Findasmokeshop.com

[Mr. Wonka]

Welcome to the forum guys. I think you have a great site and good intentions, but what’s wrong with this picture?

1-Pot leaves / NORML / legalize
2-Using the phrase “Fellow tokers”
3-Formula 420 product review; “…resin filled bowl…”
4-You have an article about “Don’t use the B word”, yet there’s a link that says “Bongs”
5-Article: How to pass any drug test
6-Photo gallery (smokers): Bongs with pot leaf stickers

Last, but certainly not least, is the map to smoke / head shops across the United States. If the DEA ever wanted to conduct another “Operation Pipe Dreams”, you just did all of the leg work for them by providing names and addresses in every state… in addition to the illegal drug references (see above).

Please tell me where I’m out of line… perhaps I’m misinterpreting something?

Tom

[PyroChixRock]

Damn, well said. I just said the same thing in the homer thread, but your post is much more detailed.

[Dom]

Thanks so much for posting this Tom.

I agree with all the points.... Something need to be done about this.

[garrick]

i didnt even notice this, just kinda went strait to the forum and signed up. after reading this post though i went back and deleted the account. it could be a great site but i agree after looking closer it needs to be cleaned up in a big way.

[Doc Holliday]

garrrr, the website is down now, i hope he dont wipe that map off too quick, i knew i should have documented it...

[findasmokeshop.com]

Hey guys..... (holding my head down in shame)

We took the site offline, it was a sad event but after reading your opinions my team agreed we could be jeapordizing, the safety of our fellow shop owners and ourselves.

Sorry if we rubbed anyone the wrong way, we had no ill intentions and we have mad respect for the wonderful art that you all produce on a daily basis.

I would like to thank you for the support you all have given us, and thank you for opening our eyes.

Luckily the site was pretty basic, so it's not a huge loss. Not sure what else to say.....except for thanks for keeping it real and for helping us getting our heads straight.

[garrick]

i wouldnt scrap it alltogether by any means just tweak it and advertise places to find glass artwork maybe

[e-jipt]

lol, you took it down while I was looking at it =p

[findasmokeshop.com]

I don't know man, I don't want to have anyone pissed off at us ya know.

[findasmokeshop.com]

sorry e-jipt, lol

[ech]

Dude just clean it up and put back up. I loved everything about it except the pot stuff. I thought it was a great idea, it just needs a little fine tuning.

[PyroChixRock]

cleaning it up would be more than fine. check out gp.org for example, been up for years because J has been very careful about what he's allowed there. They have no reason to shut his site down. If you didn't have the things mentioned, either would you. ;)

No need to hang your head either, it's all part of learning this field. We've ALL had to go through it.

[jethro]

Wouldnt the map part be ok without the "illegal references" on the rest of the site.


Maybe including some bead shops,galleries,and gift shops in the mix would help out too?

I didnt even look at the site other than the front page to see the featured artist but it sounds like one hell of a good idea.

[e-jipt]

don't get discouraged bro, you had a good idea, just gotta keep all that pot lingo off there. edit it and put it back up! =p

[findasmokeshop.com]

Thanks for your support guys, we can clean up the site with ease. The thing that doesn't sit well with us is that yes the the government would have a road map to the majority of the shops in the U.S.

I don't want to have any pissed off people looking for me or any of my team members over a website. We own a shop, so I have a lot to lose here too.

I am confused to say the least. Emberassed more so, we acted foolish, sorry guys.

[e-jipt]

other sites have that info

[phab]

Thanks for your support guys, we can clean up the site with ease. The thing that doesn't sit well with us is that yes the the government would have a road map to the majority of the shops in the U.S.

I don't want to have any pissed off people looking for me or any of my team members over a website. We own a shop, so I have a lot to lose here too.

I am confused to say the least. Emberassed more so, we acted foolish, sorry guys.


...just get permission from the shop owners first. when they realize there are no references to illegal things and like jethro said, once you have bead shops, galleries and others that are middle of the road you should be good to go.

[Blade]

I think the site can be done successfully, but no matter how you approach it you take a risk.
There was a shop called Chronicshops.com, that had the same mission, and was actually a very well put together site with alot of info. It had a thorough listing of shops, well thought out articles, and very cool pictures of glass.
Unfortunately when the sweeping raids came through, nobody wanted to participate and the site shut down.
You can check it out at http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
As far as the list of shops enabling the DEA in any way, thats probably not a concern. I am sure they have the funding and manpower to put together a list of shops that any glassblower would consider the holy grail of sales leads. I would actually love to see the kind of stats they have on number of shops, shops per state, etc.
I would put the site back up, find a new mission statement and primary focus, and keep the shop list as a secondary element of the site. i.e. focus on some aspect of the glass culture.
-B

[pacosaki]

Thanks for your support guys, we can clean up the site with ease. The thing that doesn't sit well with us is that yes the the government would have a road map to the majority of the shops in the U.S.

Let's face it, If you know the locations of these shops, don't you think the govt. knows of them as well, or can find out just as easy as you did?
Listen to the experienced people here. They are trying to help you. That's what this site is all about. Blowing glass or website content, these people know their stuff, and are willing to help. Get that site back up, but do it right.

[ech]

As a person who has been face to face with the DEA on several occasions I have to say that the DEA already has a far more comrehensive list of smokeshops than any of us could compile. Your talking about the U.S. Gov't (pronounced gubmint), they have plenty of lists and don't need this one...

[highroller]

Tom,"OPD" was targeting Manufactures NOT Retailers,get it strait.And as ech said the Gov. is more informed than you and your efforts will ever protect.Not to be harsh but thats the truth.

[PyroChixRock]

Highroller, OPD took out stores as well as large manufacturers down to one man glassblowing operations. It was wide spread, in man ways.

[mistahead]

As a person who has been face to face with the DEA on several occasions I have to say that the DEA already has a far more comrehensive list of smokeshops than any of us could compile. Your talking about the U.S. Gov't (pronounced gubmint), they have plenty of lists and don't need this one...

you should have offered him one of your infamous sammiches!!!!:D

[Mr. Wonka]

Just in case any of you forgot what happened, and the scope of OPD, just CLICK HERE (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr022403.html) to refresh your memory.

Tom

[skip]

thats is a live link to the fuzz... Thanks

[highroller]

Everyone was manufacturing and distributing.Except retail in Pen. state .That was the main office in charge.so yes your right in a sence,but not Nation wide head shop busts ,just there,thats all I'm saying.Headshop busts did happen about 12 years ago and will probably happen again.Hopefully on imports not being labled as country of origin,or the ATF cracking down on just the legality of sliped in imports.

[highroller]

Misha who was the one-man shop on that list?

[Meerkat]

I think you can still keep the same idea and flavour of what you want to do, but re-design your site to be less like High Times and more like Cannabis Culture.

[PyroChixRock]

Misha who was the one-man shop on that list?

some guy in either idaho or ohio, i forget.

[Mr. Wonka]

Highroller- There were several individuals that received “cease and desist” warnings with the threat of jail time if they didn’t comply. I heard of 2 arrests (one in Ohio, one in Indiana) of individual blowers that took place shortly after the “official” OPD. Also- some of the “distributors” listed were also retail stores which spanned from PA to Cali.




thats is a live link to the fuzz... Thanks

Anytime Skip :)

[highroller]

Thanx , I sit corrected.

[JANKYglass]

a single owner store in brighton mi was shut down over opd

[DaBomb420]

I never really knew too much about OPD, i also live in western pa, near Johnstown, which seems like where a lot of this started i guess there go my dreams of one day having a shop here, i should just move somewhere better. honestly wheres the best glass scene, cause it isn't here.

[Merlin]

the bottom of a landfill. Thats where its at.