Anyone Catch The Movie/Documentary...

[Keith]

A/K/A Tommy Chong ? I caught it on Showtime last week. It's the story of how the Feds decided they wanted to go after Tommy Chong, so they entrapped him (by order a bong from his company) and then had him sent to Federal prison for close to a year for having sold drug paraphernalia.

In the film, they show clips of Bush and then-Attorney General Ashcroft talking about how since the "drug trade" finances (at least in part) terrorist activities, if you do drugs (in this case smoking pot), then you are financing terrorism, and in turn, you are a terrorist yourself.

It was the most ridiculous argument I think I have ever seen anyone make with a straight face.

I recommend the movie as it was really interesting, and it confirmed that if the Feds want you, they will get you--sooner or later. Oh, and Tommy's wife is a ditzy blonde, at least 20-25 years younger than him (he's over 70 now), with a nice rack as well

[Keith]

Legal troubles
[edit] US vs. Chong

In 2003, Chong was targeted by two American investigations code-named Operation Pipe Dreams and Operation Headhunter, which sought out businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly bongs. Operation Pipe Dream was run from Pittsburgh, PA. US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan oversaw the case. The estimated cost of Operation Pipe Dream was over $12 Million and included the resources of 2,000 law enforcement officers.[9]
Chong was charged for his part in financing and promoting Chong Glass/Nice Dreams, a company started by his son Paris. Chong’s case never went to trial; instead Chong accepted a plea agreement with the United States Attorney's Office in which he admitted to distributing 7,500 bongs and water pipes on the Internet through Nice Dreams, a family company that was named for one of his movies. Chong agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia in exchange for non-prosecution of his wife, Shelby, and his son, Paris. Chong fully cooperated with the government and was the first of the Operation Pipe Dreams defendants to plead guilty.[9]
At Chong’s sentencing, Assistant US Attorney Mary McKeen Houghton stated in her sentencing arguments that Tommy Chong "used his public image to promote this crime" and marketed his products to children.[10] US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan also was present at the sentencing and released a statement to the press stating, "there are consequences for violating the law, even if the violator is a well-known entertainer like Thomas Chong."[9]
While Chong argued for community service and home detention at his sentencing, the district judge denied his requests and sentenced him to 9 months in federal prison, a fine of $20,000, forfeiture of $103,514, and the loss of all merchandise seized during the raid of his business.[10] Chong served his sentence in Taft Correctional Institution from October 8, 2003 to July 7, 2004.
The entire episode was chronicled in the 2006, award-winning documentary by Josh Gilbert, The United States Government vs. Thomas B. Kin Chong, a/k/a Tommy Chong. The documentary premiered theatrically at the Film Forum in New York City in 2006.





[edit] Controversy

While government officials denied that Chong was treated any differently from the other defendants, many felt that he was made an example of by the government. Soon afterwards, civil rights advocates started the Free Tommy Chong! movement that called for his release. The controversy over Chong’s prosecution centered on the rationale behind focusing on Chong as opposed to his son, Paris, the disparity in sentences that Tommy Chong received compared to other defendants, and the tactics that the DEA utilized in carrying out the investigation.[9]
Paris, Tommy’s son, had started Nice Dreams in 1999. At the time of the allegations in the indictment, Paris was the CEO of the company that was the center of the investigation. Paris was never charged with a crime in relation to the investigation. When asked why the government had focused on Chong as opposed to the company’s CEO, Paris, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan responded that “Tommy Chong was the more responsible corporate officer because he financed and marketed the product.”[9]
Of the 55 people targeted in the investigation, Chong was the only one without previous convictions who received jail time.[9] When questioned on the disparity between sentences/fines that the other 54 individuals received compared to Chong, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan stated, "He (Tommy Chong) wasn't the biggest supplier. He was a relatively new player, but he had the ability to market products like no other."[11]
In investigating the operations of Nice Dreams, federal agents posed as head-shop owners from Pittsburgh’s neighboring Beaver County and pled with Paris to sell them his pipes through the mail to a fictitious shop in Beaver Falls. Paris had set in place a company prohibition against selling to Pittsburgh or anywhere in western Pennsylvania.[9] The prohibition was put in place in response to the successful federal prosecution of Akhil Kumar Mishra and his wife, Rajeshwari, whose two head shops sold drug paraphernalia in the city’s downtown.[9] To date, it is unclear how the prohibition was broken and there exist differing accounts as to who broke the company policy which resulted in the action that brought about the ability of the US Attorney to argue that jurisdiction for the crime rests in Pittsburgh opposed to California, the base of operations for Nice Dreams.[9]

[Bobtheicon]

Great flick. And Tommy was an awesome sport about the whole thing, where I think most people would flip out over how ridiculous it was.
Dude did a year for selling glass!!

Highly recommended documentary, whether you are pro- or anti- marijuana. It may help you realize how asinine this "war on drugs" has become.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Bobtheicon

Great flick. And Tommy was an awesome sport about the whole thing, where I think most people would flip out over how ridiculous it was.
Dude did a year for selling glass!!

Highly recommended documentary, whether you are pro- or anti- marijuana. It may help you realize how asinine this "war on drugs" has become.

[TrailerParkBoys]

I remember watching interviews Tommy did after he got out. Talking about how all the guards wanted his autograph etc. even sneaking him in some weed.

Haven't seen it yet but I will. All my life when someone rolled a bigger than usual sized joint we called in a "Chonger."

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Canadian Bacon

I remember watching interviews Tommy did after he got out. Talking about how all the guards wanted his autograph etc. even sneaking him in some weed.

Haven't seen it yet but I will. All my life when someone rolled a bigger than usual sized joint we called in a "Chonger."

In the movie, Tommy says he turned down all "favors" in prison because he felt he was being set up (and would end up doing more time).

9 months. In a Federal prison. For selling a bong. Is this country f*cked up or what ???

[TrailerParkBoys]

ahh that's what it was....They offered but he didn't take.

Poor Tommy. During Reagan's war on drugs days Cheech decided to be the straight guy and do things "on the level". I still have it recorded on cassette somewhere when Chong was on a radio show in Vancouver and was howling about Cheech's cameo as the cook on "Golden Girls".......

Good to hear they did a little stand up tour but I wished it could've happened about 10 years ago.......

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Canadian Bacon

ahh that's what it was....They offered but he didn't take.

Poor Tommy. During Reagan's war on drugs days Cheech decided to be the straight guy and do things "on the level". I still have it recorded on cassette somewhere when Chong was on a radio show in Vancouver and was howling about Cheech's cameo as the cook on "Golden Girls".......

Good to hear they did a little stand up tour but I wished it could've happened about 10 years ago.......

Cheech did a CHILDREN'S show (where he played a charachter called "Cheech the bus driver"). Wasn't he also in a Don Johnson TV series (Nash Bridges ???)

[TrailerParkBoys]

Yep, the moustacheless Cheech was on Nash Bridges as well......

Here's some old stand up of theirs from '78. After Up In Smoke was filmed but before it came out.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghKp5DnWYQ4

[TN TITAN Fan In STL]

Originally Posted by Keith

In the movie, Tommy says he turned down all "favors" in prison because he felt he was being set up (and would end up doing more time).

9 months. In a Federal prison. For selling a bong. Is this country f*cked up or what ???

NO KIDDING HE SHOULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE DRUNK AND HE WOULD OF GOTTEN 30 DAYS LIKE LEONARD LITTLE AND DANTE STALLWORTH.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by TN TITAN Fan In STL

NO KIDDING HE SHOULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE DRUNK AND HE WOULD OF GOTTEN 30 DAYS LIKE LEONARD LITTLE AND DANTE STALLWORTH.

[Mendoza Line]

Saw that documentary as well.

I'm glad Tommy capitalized on his prison time. The Feds inadvertantly gave him such notariety from the incident, he was able to profit quite a bit from appearances and standup gigs, which is now leading to an even-more-profitable reunion with Cheech.

Plus, Tommy really dug the jail time, getting away from any other responsibilities for a while.

He hasn't smoked pot for the last 9-10 months, either. Getting more caught up in working out, upping his cardio.

[Seanie Mac]

dif documentary...but i watched one called prom night in mississippi or something like that....its about this in miss that had 2 proms, one segregated, and one for only whites. almost 2010 and this shit is still going on, rediculous.

[Mendoza Line]

was it because the black kids didn't want to be around the white kids? that happened in Georgia a couple of years ago. the black kids petitioned for their own prom.

[be47320]

Originally Posted by Seanie Mac

dif documentary...but i watched one called prom night in mississippi or something like that....its about this in miss that had 2 proms, one segregated, and one for only whites. almost 2010 and this shit is still going on, rediculous.

morgan freeman is the man