[420 Girl]

In January 2009, in the throws of the great recession, a head-shop quietly opened it's doors at 420 S. Washington Street here in Sonora. Offering bongs, pipes, scales and other drug paraphernalia, it quickly filled the niche held long ago by Benjamin Fig's, a little shop who's only link to drug paraphernalia these days are stash boxes. Who would open a smoke shop right in the middle of socially conservative Sonora? Well, that was easy enough to find out.

Keyth Pike, a tattooed man about 50 years old talks on a phone, holding it in the crook of his neck as he leans over a brilliantly lit display case filled with hand-blown glass pipes. The sounds of an utlra-conservative/libertarian radio talk show fill the long narrow store. An array of products line the shelves and are neatly arranged in lighted display cases. Bongs of every shape and size fill mirrored glass cabinets. Ornate hookas are on display like works of art at a museum. This shop is no joke. It's obvious that some real time and money has gone into building this establishment. He ends his conversation and turns down the Internet radio stream.

“Hi, may I help you?”

Keyth of Pacalolo's

When he is told that Sierrabear wanted to write an article about the shop, he seemed surprised.

“Wow, that would be great. It's been a hard time trying to get any positive press.”

That's no surprise, given the recent drug busts by the Tuolumne Narcotics Team, most recently the at the Dance of the Dead Festival in Groveland, California. Our local media conglomerates seem to be setting a supportive tone for the drug war, with little criticism or dissent.

We began the interview by speaking for a while about the community and the process of opening his store. Pike says that after he began selling pipes and other paraphernalia in his tattoo shop, Immortal Ink, he soon realized that offering drug accoutrements was turning into a business unto itself. As a businessman he could see that there was a need that wasn't being met here in Sonora, and like so many entrepreneurs, he took the leap to fill a niche.

“Pacalolos grew out of need from the customer base itself. This wasn't some great idea I had one day. Pacalolo's grew out of the community itself. It's obvious the community wants this shop. The community keeps growing this shop.”

Our discussion is interrupted as three young people in their early twenties enter the store. They're looking to buy a scale and a pipe. Like a jeweler, Keyth pulls out his products for his customer's perusal. He shows them a selection of hand-blown glass pipes from Broham Art & Tobacco in Sacramento and another set from a local artist out of Murphys. “They blow these high quality pieces that are just the best they can be...I like to support local artists when possible.” After discussing the merits of one scale over another, the young folks make their purchase and leave.

hand blown glass pipes

When the subject of politics comes up, Keyth makes it clear that he's no liberal in the modern sense, and goes on to discuss his conservative views regarding the role of government and control of our civil liberties. Though he runs a shop that most would associate with liberal, left-wing thought, this could not be further from the truth. He is surprisingly conservative. With regard to fiscal responsibility, gun rights, and smaller government, he has more in common with the Tuolumne County Republican base than one would expect from a long-haired tattoo artist who operates a bong shop. In fact, his belief in what he is doing stems from the very libertarian idea that government should not be in peoples' lives, telling them what they can and can't do with their own free time.

Honkin Hookah

“There's a little bit of negativity concerning people's outdated information on the current culture. We try to correct that by bringing them up to date on the effective use of alternative medication. It's ridiculous that marijuana is illegal. Incarcerating people over this plant is ridiculous. Judging people as parents because of their use of this plant is ridiculous. I have a really hard time with that aspect of the law.”

Critics of shops like Pacalolo's would point out the obvious nature of his shop, his support of drug culture and the sale of items related to illegal substances as being destructive. Sierrabear asked him to respond.

“Lets just say that there are those in the community that haven't fully received what we're about here, and that's causing them grief. If you have a problem with people expressing their liberties as they see fit, then you're suffering from a delusion. This disconnected thinking that you have needs to be addressed.”

More customers enter the shop, some just look and leave. Others make purchases. Keyth reports that Pacalolo's has been doing enough business to keep the store profitable, even through the current recession. He says that business is only getting better. This marks the 40th year of the drug war, and depending on your political views, Pacalolo's either provides aid and comfort to the enemy, or supports the troops.

Pacalolos: 420 S. Washington St. (209) 533-1511 - For all your smoking needs. Open 11-7 Monday-Saturday

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