Dear Stoner,

Can I sell my old bong on craigslist? It’s not broken or anything, I just don’t use it anymore.

-Betty Bong

Dear Betty,

Short answer, maybe? This was kind of a hard one actually. My initial gut response (before I started looking into it) was no, no way, but then I thought about it. If you can buy someone’s old, used, dirty underwear on craigslist, why can’t you buy a bong? So, I did some research and the answer to your question is yes, you can. It is completely legal under all state laws, because marijuana paraphernalia is legal to buy, possess and use… but you have to pick and choose your words very carefully. There are laws against selling actual weed online (though these laws are hard to enforce), but the laws that prohibit selling a used cannabis glass piece are a little less straightforward. Don’t advertise online that it’s intended for cannabis, and use terms like “flower” and “water pipe” instead of “weed” or “bong”… don’t use any language related to pot, just to be safe. Keep it in Michigan: Shipping that bong over state lines would be a major no-no and could land you federal charges if that state has not legalized or decriminalized marijuana, since Uncle Sam considers your bong illegal and more of a danger to society than, say, guns.

Anyways, legality aside, you also could potentially run into some issues with Craigslist policies, which prohibit the sales of “controlled substances and related items.” Pot is a controlled substance, and a pot pipe would most likely be considered “related.” That said, the most that will happen is that your ad gets pulled, but a quick browse through the bongs currently listed in the “For Sale” section shows that isn’t a likely scenario, either. I say go for it, word it the best you can and see what happens. Good luck!

Sincerely,