Board of Health to revisit drug paraphernalia regulations

by Patriot Staff

WEBSTER – The Board of Health has called for a new public hearing to be held June 18 to revisit the tobacco regulations it amended at its April 2 meeting.

At that time, the board changed tobacco regulations to “ban all paraphernalia, merchandise oriented towards users of marijuana and other illegal drugs, including but not limited to: blunt wrappers, rosebud glass tubes or other non-traditional tobacco smoking apparatus.”

The purpose of the regulation was to stop the sale of items used for illegal drugs. However, several  local merchants of tobacco products were not clear as to what precisely they could and could not sell.

Jimmy Nayfeh, owner of Jimmy’s Convenience store, attended the May 21 board meeting and demonstrated his dilemma. He brought with him blunt wraps and cigars used to make blunt wraps, which might then be filled with marijuana, but obviously could also be used for permitted tobacco.  Rolling papers fall into the same category.

The board agreed that the language needed to be more specific and that the regulation will not be enforced until that happens.

The board will consult with town counsel  as to what appropriate language might be, and Health Agent Cathleen Liberty will also do more research on exactly what to ban and not to ban, and what other communities have done.

“Let’s make this right for the people in town,” said board chairman David Zalewski.