I don't even know who/how to ask
April 13, 2013 1:13 PM Subscribe
Back in college, I smoked weed intermittently (maybe every month if that - so not that big a smoker), but had a consistent dealer on campus.
Now I am many years out of college, and my dealer connection moved to Portland but I would still would like to smoke now and again, and yet, I have no freaking clue how to find a source.
Demographic info: I'm 28, female, and single, live in a smallish city in the Hudson Valley about 1 hour north of NYC with a significant college stupid population + a number of Jamaican and Haitian immigrants, with a nice cross section of folks living around me. There are a few smoke shops in the area, but they are scattered around everywhere. I can smell weed when I walk down the street so I know that people around me who have it, but I don't know how to take the next step here and find someone who will sell to me.
I know weed is not legal in this country - please no lectures on that. I also know the likelihood of the cops in my hood caring about me and my pathetic display of sometimes smoking one joint a month is slim to none. I just want to know how I, as someone who lives in a small city full of pot-smokers and no longer has a dealer, gets pot. If anyone can help, that will be great. Thanks.
Now I am many years out of college, and my dealer connection moved to Portland but I would still would like to smoke now and again, and yet, I have no freaking clue how to find a source.
Demographic info: I'm 28, female, and single, live in a smallish city in the Hudson Valley about 1 hour north of NYC with a significant college stupid population + a number of Jamaican and Haitian immigrants, with a nice cross section of folks living around me. There are a few smoke shops in the area, but they are scattered around everywhere. I can smell weed when I walk down the street so I know that people around me who have it, but I don't know how to take the next step here and find someone who will sell to me.
I know weed is not legal in this country - please no lectures on that. I also know the likelihood of the cops in my hood caring about me and my pathetic display of sometimes smoking one joint a month is slim to none. I just want to know how I, as someone who lives in a small city full of pot-smokers and no longer has a dealer, gets pot. If anyone can help, that will be great. Thanks.
Go to metafilter meetups.
posted by ryanrs at 1:30 PM on April 13, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 1:30 PM on April 13, 2013 [3 favorites]
Hudson Valley mefite. There are not many metafilter meet-ups around here, and I don't know that they'd be fruitful for this, anyway.
Not that I would mind if they were, but *shrug*
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:14 PM on April 13, 2013
Not that I would mind if they were, but *shrug*
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:14 PM on April 13, 2013
Do your friends smoke pot? Can you make friends that smoke pot? That's the best way to find out how to get it.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 2:18 PM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by The Light Fantastic at 2:18 PM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Where I'm from in the US of A, people are generally sketched out about selling weed to strangers. The traditional, if apocryphal, approach to pot with new people is to somehow convince someone you're cool by getting them to smoke with you a few times. Depending on your confidence and personality this can be as simple as approaching the right person or group of persons and saying something like, "Wow, that smell delicious," or some other sort of wink-wink nudge-nudge sort of comment. Or as someone said above, going to the right kinds of music shows and venues. From personal experience, even a blatant plea of "Hey, smoke me out" has been known to suffice to open the door when used on the right person. This all hinges on your judgement of the people you chose to approach in such a manner. Always be careful and make sure you have some sort of "escape plan" just in case things start to feel sketchy. If they do or you get a strange feeling for some reason, just bail and try a different person or persons at a later time when you feel the situation is less dicey. Good luck.
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 2:27 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 2:27 PM on April 13, 2013
Casually say to a friend/co-worker/neighbour, "Y'know, I was walking down the street the other day and I could smell weed - and, when I started thinking about it, I realized that I don't know anyone around here who sells it..unlike when I was in college!"
If your friend knows someone, or is someone, who deals, they'll tell you. Then, depending on how direct you're feeling, you can say, "OH, HOOK ME UP!" or some variant.
If your friend is not a weed-person or had an issue with weed, they'll say something like, "Oh, man, it's awful how you smell that everywhere now, isn't it?" and you can smile and shake your head and make a mental note to NOT invite that person over to hang out when you finally procure the weed from elsewhere.
If you know any of the people on your street, even to say "Hey!" when you make eye contact, you can also say, "Hey, that smells great!" next time you smell what they're smoking and, chances are good, you'll be offered some. You can then work that into a conversation about how you can get more in the future.
Most of the people I know who smoke are happy to tell you where they got it - but they're not going to walk up to someone who's given no indication of being interested.
posted by VioletU at 2:29 PM on April 13, 2013 [5 favorites]
If your friend knows someone, or is someone, who deals, they'll tell you. Then, depending on how direct you're feeling, you can say, "OH, HOOK ME UP!" or some variant.
If your friend is not a weed-person or had an issue with weed, they'll say something like, "Oh, man, it's awful how you smell that everywhere now, isn't it?" and you can smile and shake your head and make a mental note to NOT invite that person over to hang out when you finally procure the weed from elsewhere.
If you know any of the people on your street, even to say "Hey!" when you make eye contact, you can also say, "Hey, that smells great!" next time you smell what they're smoking and, chances are good, you'll be offered some. You can then work that into a conversation about how you can get more in the future.
Most of the people I know who smoke are happy to tell you where they got it - but they're not going to walk up to someone who's given no indication of being interested.
posted by VioletU at 2:29 PM on April 13, 2013 [5 favorites]
Yeah, everything's gonna amount to The Light Fantastic's advice one way or another. There's no non-stupid, non-obnoxious way to meet a dealer other than meeting one of his customers.
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 2:30 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 2:30 PM on April 13, 2013
I'm assuming that you're near Vassar? I went there about five years ago; there are a ton of students who are friendly and can hook you up.
Just wander around on the quad or by Sunset Hill and ask people who are lazing around smoking cigarettes if they can help you out. Dress like a college student and just seem nice. Someone there will know.
posted by k8lin at 3:01 PM on April 13, 2013
Just wander around on the quad or by Sunset Hill and ask people who are lazing around smoking cigarettes if they can help you out. Dress like a college student and just seem nice. Someone there will know.
posted by k8lin at 3:01 PM on April 13, 2013
In initial approaches you might avoid words denoting monetary exchange: buy, sell, etc. If someone I didn't know asked to me to help them buy weed I might think it a set up for a sting; if they just asked if I could help them get a smoke then probably I'd be less suspicious. Maybe that's just me.
posted by anadem at 3:51 PM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by anadem at 3:51 PM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Make friends with your local neighborhood barista. Rarely will this fail.
posted by furnace.heart at 5:07 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by furnace.heart at 5:07 PM on April 13, 2013
One of my friends picked up some part-time work driving a taxicab, and I am impressed by the pharmaceuticals he now has connections for. You might want to try asking a cab driver.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 5:43 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 5:43 PM on April 13, 2013
When I was in Canada with my friends several years ago, I asked a taxi driver "Hey, do you know where we can get a smoke?" He said "What kind of smoke?" and I responded "the special kind." He ended up selling us pot right out of his car.
I don't think you'll have much trouble with that approach since New York State has decriminalized marijuana - as long as you're not possessing over 25 grams (0.88 ounces) or less of cannabis it's just a civil offense that you'll only be ticketed for.
posted by wolfdreams01 at 7:46 PM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't think you'll have much trouble with that approach since New York State has decriminalized marijuana - as long as you're not possessing over 25 grams (0.88 ounces) or less of cannabis it's just a civil offense that you'll only be ticketed for.
posted by wolfdreams01 at 7:46 PM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Personally a craigslist post got me a delivery guy.
posted by signsofrain at 9:08 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by signsofrain at 9:08 PM on April 13, 2013
If you are in New Paltz, there are a few bars/shops in town that all of the potheads hang out at. Seems like bad form to post names of specific businesses on the internet, but if you're in New Paltz, feel free to memail me.
posted by cheerwine at 12:55 PM on April 14, 2013
posted by cheerwine at 12:55 PM on April 14, 2013
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(Not a smoker myself. This answer is the first thing that came to mind.)
posted by jason's_planet at 1:21 PM on April 13, 2013