Many South Carolina residents may be familiar with the term “drug paraphernalia” but they may wonder what exactly this means. The Drug Enforcement Administration says that drug paraphernalia consists of the items a person might use to consume, manufacture or conceal illegal substances.
Many people may not realize that drug paraphernalia can differ from substance to substance. If someone ingests cocaine, for example, he or she might have razor blades, pipes or plastic straws. Someone who possesses marijuana might have bongs and pipes. People may also have an e-cigarette if they use marijuana concentrates. Additionally, tin foil and needles are typically associated with heroin.
Some people might think it is easy to tell if an item is used for drugs. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, this is not always the case. Pipes, for example, are usually sold so people can use them with tobacco products. However, people can also use pipes when they smoke marijuana. Additionally, many people may have plastic straws and tin foil in their homes without using these items to consume drugs. Because of this, many members of law enforcement look for a combination of items before determining that someone possesses drug paraphernalia. They may check to see if someone has a small scale to weigh drugs or glass pipes in addition to other materials.
It is important to remember that drug paraphernalia is not legal in the U.S. People cannot legally export or import these materials or take them across state lines. Additionally, people cannot sell these materials. If people possess items considered to be drug paraphernalia and are clearly using them to consume or manufacture drugs, they may face serious consequences.
