Police think NE ‘head shop’
was one toke over the line

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Philadelphia police raided a longtime Northeast Philadelphia "head shop" last Thursday, arresting two employees and seizing dozens of boxes of alleged drug-packaging materials and other paraphernalia.
The raid occurred shortly before 2 p.m. at Artifax, at Cottman Avenue and Hanford Street, across from the Roosevelt Mall.
A head shop is a store that sells items typically associated with drug use, such as smoking pipes, rolling papers, drug-culture magazines and related products. Although it is not illegal to sell smoking pipes and "bongs," according to Cpl. Mark Palma, of the Narcotics Field Unit East, it is illegal to sell drug-packaging materials and other items used in drug distribution.
Undercover officers obtained a search warrant for the property after allegedly buying so-called "apple baggies" there in various sizes as small as a postage stamp. Police consider the baggies drug packaging, although they were marketed as "coin holders," Palma said.
In addition to about a dozen boxes of baggies, officers seized numerous digital scales and containers with secret compartments in their bottoms. Police believe that the containers, labeled as various household products, were designed to conceal contraband.
Officers arrested Lawrence Dresnin, 39, of the 300 block of Waverly Road, Glenside, and Mindy Flood, 48, of the 300 block of West Ave., Jenkintown, and charged them with possessing drug paraphernalia, Palma said.
Police identified the owner of the shop as Brent Brookstein, age unknown, who is believed to maintain dual residences in Yardley, Bucks County, and Colorado. He had not been charged with a crime as the Northeast Times went to press. An attorney representing Brookstein declined to comment on the case.
The city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections accompanied police on the raid and shut down the business, Palma said.
According to Kevin Daly, chief of L&I’s Nuisance Task Force, the business was ordered to cease operations for violating the Pennsylvania Crimes Code with respect to the sale of drug paraphernalia.
Artifax has been in business at the same location at least since 1982. A city business permit issued that year itemizes what the shop was allowed to sell, including pipes, bongs, tobacco products, pipe screens, scales, magazines, apparel and gifts. The document includes "drug paraphernalia" among the permitted items for sale.
Although the business permit was still valid at the time of the raid, it is unclear whether L&I defines "drug paraphernalia" in the same context that police define the term. The city’s Law Department is reviewing the matter, Daly said.
The raid was good news to Fox Chase resident Jerry Rocks, who earlier this year founded a grassroots organization called Not In My Neighborhood, to combat sale of some smoking-related products in local convenience stores and shops.
Primarily, the organization is opposed to cigarette rolling papers, cigar wrappers and certain flavored cigars that, it claims, are used primarily to smoke marijuana.
Rocks, who works as a detective for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and others in his organization have petitioned such stores as Sunoco A-Plus and Wawa to remove these items from their shelves. Also, Rocks’ organization has lobbied City Council to pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale of those items in city stores.
A public hearing regarding the bill is expected to take place in October, Rocks said. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com