SALEM -- State Sen. Ginny Burdick's new bong would be the envy of even the most seasoned stoners.

On the first day of recreational marijuana being legal in Oregon, Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, presented Burdick with an elaborate navy-and-gold rig -- the official colors of the state of Oregon -- as a thank-you for her work as co-chair of the Legislature's committee on implementing Measure 91.

The $400 bong was handcrafted by Woody Nelson, a glass artist based in the Illinois Valley, and paid for by donations from every member of the Senate. It even includes the words "State of Oregon" on the base.

Burdick, D-Portland, however, promised she'd use it only as a single-flower -- or "bud" -- vase.

-- Ian K. Kullgren

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