Tommy Chong, of Cheech and Chong comedy team fame, was sentenced to nine months in prison and given a $20,000 fine for conspiring to sell drug paraphernalia through the Internet and catalogs, according to published reports.
A company Web site, www.chongglass.com, which once featured hand-blown glass bongs and pipes signed by the actor, now leads to a site featuring links to a wide variety of online resources. A number at the firm’s Gardena, CA headquarters has been disconnected.
Chong had pled guilty to selling equipment used for smoking marijuana in May through his company, Nice Dreams Enterprises. Reports indicated that while the company Web site maintained that the pipes and bongs were designed for tobacco and other legal products, he had admitted their purpose when entering his plea.
As part of his punishment, Chong will make a series of public appearances during which he will admit to selling drug paraphernalia, reports said.
Chong’s arrest was part of a national effort called "Operation Pipe Dreams," which took action against a number of drug merchandise marketers.
Cheech and Chong, the act through which Chong gained initial prominence, incorporated drug use into its humor. Chong last worked with former partner Richard "Cheech" Marin in the mid-1980s.
