Bill 49 has amended Florida Statute §893.147, which will effect smoke shops, convenience store owners and Florida Business Owners that sell these certain pipes, more specifically discussed below.

According to the amended Florida Statute §893.147, it is a “first degree misdemeanor for a person to knowingly and willfully sell or offer for sale at retail any of the drug paraphernalia listed in Florida Statute §893.145(12)(a)-(c) and (g)-(m), and a second or subsequent violation a third degree felony. The drug paraphernalia included are:

• Metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, or ceramic smoking pipes, with or without screens, permanent screens, hashish heads, or punctured metal bowls; water pipes; carburetion tubes and devices; chamber pipes; carburetor pipes; electric pipes; air-driven pipes; chillums; bongs; ice pipes or chillers.
• The bill provides an exception for pipes that are primarily made of briar, meerschaum, clay, or corn cob.”

If any of the items listed above are offered for sale in your store, you should immediately remove and lawfully dispose of them; however, if you know that the pipes are used for tobacco use only, you may be permitted to sell these items. If you are questioning a certain pipe, it is safer for you to remove the product for liability reasons and lawfully dispose of it.