PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia City Council committee has approved a bill that would crack down on drug paraphernalia sold at shops that claim to be convenience stores to skirt city regulations.
Head shops, which specialize in paraphernalia for consuming cannabis and related items, are permitted in the city but require special zoning and permits. To get around that, store owners pretend to be something else, according to testimony from council members and community groups.
Co-sponsor Bobby Henon says there are five candy stores in his district that keep odd hours and sell very little candy.
"Not too many people are walking out of these candy stores with Swedish Fish," he said.
Bonita Cummings of the Strawberry Mansion Task Force says the stores harm the quality of life for their neighbors.in the neighborhoods around them.
"Continuing to permit an excessive amount of nuisance businesses to set up shop will only result in irreversible destruction of various Philadelphia neighborhoods," she said.
The bill would also revise the definition of drug paraphernalia for the first time in 45 years. It passed the committee unanimously and will now go before the full council.