7. "I Get Paid for

Many smokers acquire their supply through a friend who may have purchased an extra ounce or two. But many others buy directly from a marijuana dealer, a retailer who makes a living from selling pot, and perhaps other illicit drugs. There is a good deal of mythology surrounding the image of dealers, including the lingering idea of the "pusher" out to hook the unsuspecting citizen on drugs. This is not true of marijuana dealers, and never was. While in California, I was introduced to Hannah, a dealer in her late thirties. Her story appears here in her own words, not because she is a "typical" dealer, but because she is interesting and articulate, and sheds light on a variety of subjects touched upon in these pages.

First of all, I deal only in marijuana and magic mushrooms. No heavy drugs. No cocaine, pills, speed, uppers, downers. Not even acid. Just marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms, that's it, and related items: hash, hash oil, and occasionally peyote.
    I'm thirty-five. And a woman, which is pretty unusual for dope dealers. There are a few of us around, but not too many. I started out dealing mostly to women, through choice. First, it was safer. Second, I felt more comfortable with women. But now I sell to men too. I'm not biased, but I just don't want a lot of macho men on my premises, and so I screen male customers more carefully than women. I want to make sure they're nice, mellow men, not macho pigs, and that they're going to accept that I'm the authority in my house, as most men do. Not just on matters of smoking, but on who is the boss in the house.
    The only difference I find between men and women as customers is that men buy more, but I'm not sure that means they smoke more or whether it's because they have more money, because my population is skewed. I came into the business with a large number of women friends. But every woman has a brother, an ex-husband, a former lover, or whatever, who needs a contact, so slowly but surely I've gathered some male customers, although I still sell mostly to women.
    The dope business, unfortunately, is very male dominated. I think that women make better dealers: they are more reliable, they pay their debts faster. But there aren't too many of us, which is true in any business that makes a lot of money. It's a male club, and you have to be a member of that club. Dealers tend to know each other, and if you're the pal of a dealer, he's more likely to turn you on to the trade if you're a man. If you're a woman, he's more likely to try to go to bed with you.
    A lot of people actually forget that this is an illegal business That means the buyer is at the mercy of the seller. Most sellers are basically honest; if they aren't, they don't stay in business very long. In general, pot dealers are more ethical than anyone gives us credit for. True, we don't pay income taxes. But we are ethical in our business with customers. A lot of money goes for bad debts. And we spend our money on our friends.
    Each person's business is a little different. This is only my second year doing this, and I currently make about $18,000 a year after expenses. A person can come in and buy any amount from me; I have no minimum. Some dealers don't want to be bothered for under an ounce, or half an ounce, or whatever quantity they've weighed up before the customer arrives. Most dealers like to do their weighing and measuring in private, so that when the customer comes in, it goes smoother. I'm a little different; you can buy even five dollars worth of pot if you want to.