Minnesota Supreme Court Calls Bong Water a Controlled Substance

Individuals can be prosecuted under drug laws for possessing a small amount of bong water that contains traces of marijuana or other controlled substances, the Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled.

The Associated Press reported Oct. 23 that the court, in a 4-3 decision, ruled that a Rice County woman could be prosecuted for possessing about 2-1/2 tablespoons of water found in a bong that contained traces of methamphetamine. Police seized the bong in a raid of Sara Peck’s home.

The court said that bong water fell under the classification of a drug “mixture” and is thus a controlled substance. Police testified that drug users sometimes keep their bong water to drink or inject.

The decision reversed those of two lower courts, which rejected the first-degree drug charges filed against Peck. A dissent by Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson called the ruling “absurd” and maintained that bong water should be considered drug paraphernalia.