Drug paraphernalia is a term used, often with a slightly negative connotation due to its use in criminal law field e.g. "possession of drug paraphernalia", to denote any equipment, product, or material that is modified for making, using, or concealing drugs, typically for recreational purposes. Drugs such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine are related to a wide range of paraphernalia. Paraphernalia generally falls into two categories including user-specific products and dealer-specific products.

User-specific products include glass hashish pipes, crack cocaine pipes, smoking masks, hashish bongs, cocaine freebase kits, syringes, roach clips for holding the burning end of a marijuana "joint". Some stores sell items for growing hydroponic marijuana, such as guidebooks, fertilizer, and fluorescent grow-lights. The term paraphernalia also refers to items such as hollowed-out cosmetic cases or fake pagers when used to conceal illegal drugs, or products purported to cleanse an individuals system of drug residues to increase the individual's chance of passing a urine analysis for drug use.

Joanne E. Benson (born January 4, 1943) was the 44th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota from January 3, 1995 to January 4, 1999. An Independent Republican, she was elected on the gubernatorial ticket with Governor Arne Carlson, competing for the party endorsement with Allen Quist and Doug McFarland, and later in the election against John Marty. She is a former Minnesota state senator noted for being somewhat more conservative than the moderate Carlson.

Benson ran in the 1998 Republican primary for governor, starting off as the initial front-runner in the GOP primary. However, despite attempting to garner enough support within the GOP establishment to ward-off any primary challengers, a late entrant to the race, St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, garnered enough delegates to win the Republican endorsement at the GOP state convention in summer 1998. Placing third in the race for delegates (behind Coleman and Allen Quist), she agreed not to challenge Coleman in that fall's primary, but as the Republican nominee, Coleman eventually placed second in the race to Reform candidate Jesse Ventura.