IAMA former Drug Dealer

Verified OP was charged with felony robbery.

...yay?

Right?

What was the one single decision you regret more than any others?

Cheating with my good friends wife, we had a two year long relationship, and I kick myself everyday for being a piece of shit.

If it can make you "feel better" you are not a total piece of shit. Sure cheating is really low and shouldnt be forgiven in my opinion, but at least you know it. Some people cheat and act like they are the victims when they get comfronted.

He actually stalked me about a year into it, and we sat down and discussed it over a bottle of wine. I really thought he was going to try to kill me, but he had been hitting the Heroin hard ever since she left him, he was a construction worker, but he looked weak. Still, the guilt will haunt me forever. I run 5k's at night and I wish he would just pull up and jump out and beat the shit out of me, at least I would get closure, but really, I don't deserve closure and I hope he just has a better life, we were best friends at one point, hanging out every day.

Did you ever knowingly sell to children and young teens without any hesitation?

I sold weed to my 16 year old sister once because I didn't want her to go through just anyone. I refused to sell her alcohol though. Otherwise, not to my knowledge.

Alright, for that situation that makes sense. At least you know she's not getting any crack sprinkled in.

Heh, no one does that. I mean, I hear stories, but I don't believe them. Crack is kind of pricey, most people who have crack would much rather smoke it than give it away secretly to stoners.

I didn't want her to make the connections into the drug world, essentially, I didn't want her to meet people like me.

We once got pot from a guy who sold blow cause our normal tree guy was out of town, and when we smoked it it tasted weird and we got a really weird high. We had an idea of what might have happened so we called and he confirmed, he kept them together so there was plenty of blow sprinkled into the weed.

I've heard of it, but still, as a ex-dealer, I don't see why you would ever do it. Cocaine is expensive, why would you just throw it at stoners who don't want it. I cede the point that it happens though.

This this this. I have had laced weed ONCE in my life, and it was laced with windex which happens from time to time where i live, some people spray weed with windex because it apparently gives your head a very high feeling, Making shit weed seem awesome. When people get caught, word gets out and then all of a sudden no one buys from them. Laced weed is the biggest argument from anti weed groups instilling fear in parents minds. It just isn't true, the 99.9% of dealers want return business and want to build a clientele, and the only way to do that in an over saturated market is to provide the highest quality most consistent product.

I never did any of this shit when I sold weed. My coke was worth much more being sold as coke, I wasn't going to waste that fucking gold mine on stoners.

Anyway speaking of why it's a shit job, there is such little money in weed unless you're regularly flipping large quantities. I consider weed a "gateway drug" for dealers because after a few months you realize you're not making as much money as you could, much higher profit margin on coke and pills. The shitty part is, everyone and their brother sells weed where I am and there isn't really any beef over turf/customers because there is such huge demand for weed. You get into the harder shit though and then violence gets involved, you're 100 times more likely to be robbed, more people will owe you larger amounts of money, and some of them won't pay so you have to then make an example of them so more people don't fuck you over.

Yeah, it's why I stayed the fuck out of selling Heroin and Cocaine, I'm not made for that shit.

You mentioned you got arrested for felonies: how long did it take for dealing to become violent? Did you have some form of self defense (knife, gun, posse, etc.)?

It was unrelated. I never got caught for selling. I did an armed robbery to impress my girlfriend (I am not shitting you, I wish I was) and got caught. I owned 2 handguns & a shotgun.

armed robbery to impress my girlfriend

jesus christ

You have no idea what a lesson that was. It was a fascinating time in my life, sitting in jail, withdrawing off Heroin, for a robbery I didn't even need to commit.

Wanna know the best part? When I got out the cops had left our phones in her purse, I went through hers and I swear to the gods I don't believe in, she had texts to people saying she was going to leave me for a girl we wanted to have a threesome with. She was also texting a male friend about how she would "Need a good dicking" every now and then.

that's one hard case

I concur.

Did that change your concept of women or had you been betrayed a lot already? I've been cheated on by more than one person and no longer seek out meaningful relationships because of it. I feel worthless enough without a woman rubbing it in.

I am still a hopeless romantic and dream of the day where I can live sharing love between another human being and I. I thought I had that before, but with a sober look into the past, it was just fucked up and insane.

[deleted]

Restaurants...

All right, everyone be cool, this is a robbery.

It...went a lot like that.

Did you don the cliche black ski mask and everything? What was the plan in your head before you walked inside?

No, didn't have one on hand. Bandanna on face, sunglasses, black hoodie black pants. I did know exactly what I wanted to do, get all the customers in one spot and have my accomplice watch for cell phone activity while I got the cash from the register.

Interesting, thanks for the reply! I hadn't even thought about the cell phones. Was there a reason for robbing that particular place? Also if you don't mind me asking, when did you know you were caught and do you realistically think you could have made a clean get away if you had done things differently?

They were open. Breaking into a closed business is actually a much lesser charge, heh. The only hope I had was being on foot, the moment I got into the vehicle it was game over.

how different is your average hard drug buyer compared to the more casual drug buyer, i.e. did the users who "needed" the drug to function have a very different relationship with you than the casual pot smoker?

Beyond any idea you have. I became a heroin addict as well, so I also have first hand knowledge. The worst ones I sold to people were Mephedrone and MDPV, and I felt like total shit. I knew as soon as everyone I managed to get hooked on it got paid, I was getting paid. I could count on several hundred dollars everyday, it was no question. They are also typically less educated and generally lower socio-economic. Not always true though, I bought heroin fairly often from a man who owned a very successful local business. He's cleaned up though from what I last heard.

dude, MDPV, I know the margins must've been amazing but that shit, much like the wu-tang clan, ain't nothin' to fuck with

Word, it's soul-killing poison. I have no excuses for what I've done beyond personal greed, sadly.

eh, I'm of the opinion that as long as you told the customer what chemical it was, so that they could do their due diligence on the chemical and whatnot, they are solely responsible for whatever shitstorm it ends up causing.

I both agree and disagree completely. I tried to educate my customers, I would send them lengthy reams of information from bluelight.ru and erowid.org but...there is no way to really translate a drug experience truthfully into words. The urge you get to re-dose the second you take MDPV into your body is horrifying.

I still feel bad for what I've done, I was the one importing the chemicals, I was the one supplying them. Take me out of the equation and a lot of people may have had a lot better lives. I enabled the addiction of hundreds of people, more often than not giving them their first real taste of "real" drugs. There is a fascinating tendency to shift the blame away from the dealer, and it at least falls somewhat upon people like me. I know addicts will find ways to get high regardless, I am one of them, but I didn't have to be so damn complicit. I didn't have to be right there waiting for them to ask and informing them of what I had gotten lately.

Mephedrone was the shit back in '09. We called it shrimp. Fucking everywhere!

Shrimp...really? D:.

I prefer to call it 4-MMC.

How much money would you say you made during that time?

Anywhere from 100-300k. I have nothing to show for it, I blew any and all profits into alcohol and more drugs. I realized just a few days ago I didn't even buy myself clothing, I am 24 now and most of my wardrobe bar what I just got for a birthday comes from High School.

Is that how you kept the IRS off your back: you got your money in drugs and you spent it in drugs?

I didn't use banks at all. I had no worries about the IRS, all I cared about was getting high. I paid my landlord in weed for two years even, I had no trace.

I would both love and hate to be your landlord.

Never had a problem with any landlord.

How did you start? Just saw it as easy money or did you like the rush or something?

I was working for Wal*Mart unloading trucks and decided fuck this, I want to make tax free cash, and a lot of it. I loved weed & psychedelics and I went from there, we started a Mushroom grow-op and after a year transferred to weed. We also imported marijuana from California, we got Medical ID's and found a shop that would sell by the LB.

Hey i work for walmart unloading trucks.

To be honest I liked the actual work of unloading trucks, but hated the company itself. All I wanted to do was be left alone in the back room and work my dick off, they were constantly fucking with us making us do ridiculous shit, shifting schedules, taking away breaks, informing us on how to do our jobs. When you've been busting ass for 5 hours straight and you're pouring & covered in sweat it's hard to give a fuck that some guy in a tie is telling you that you're not working hard enough.

who was your least favorite customer?

Daniel, no doubt about it. Guy was shady as fuck and couldn't have been more of a obvious drug addict. I dealt mostly with middle class whites so to have someone so blatantly advertise bugged the hell out of me, but he bought ounces, what do you do?

How is your relationship with your family now that you've cleaned up? Also, what felonies did you get popped for?

Aggravated Robbery.

I live with my parents and 3 sisters.

Do they know you sold drugs?

Yes. I was living in my parents basement for the last three months, my landlord who I paid rent with weed died from his disease and moved back in and shot heroin and sold drugs out of their basement.

Did you ever refuse to sell to anyone? Why?

What was the worst situation you've ever been in during a deal? (violent customers, snatch and runs, kids involved, etc.)

And also I have another question that's related to a situation I'm going through so would you mind if I messaged you?

I refused to sell alcohol to my little sister once. Message away!

Once a guy got off with two ounces of chronic (A loss of ~$600). I was early in the game and idiotic.

What idiotic mistake did you make?

Hah, I was sitting in my car...waiting for him to come back with the money. He had bought $1000 of product from me already, and he said the customer preferred privacy. It was the first and last time I let product leave without cash in hand.

I have a couple of friends who are considering or already have small grow ops for personal use only, but the way I understand it, that almost always turns into "I can make money off of this, so why not". Is there any advice you can give to a concerned friend who doesn't want the see them start down that path?

There's not much you can do. Just keep an eye open and try and remind them that it's not just pot, it's months to years in jail/prison.

as someone who went through all this, what do you think/have to say about people in medical or legal states who sell to dispensaries "legally"

as a former drug dealer, do you consider those people drug dealers?

Well, they dispense a psychoactive drug, so...yeah.

I don't think it's a bad thing though, I'm 100% for legalization of all drugs actually, so long as anything remains black market it will be exploited and serve only the interests of criminals. With regulation and legalization a lot of the violence and crime can be removed.

Did you ever get your dick sucked in exchange for some drugs?

Nope.

What (if anything) kept you in contact with the real world/gave you some sense of normalcy during the time you were dealing?

Nothing. I didn't exist in the normal world, and I made it a point of pride and obsession. I avoided my family, all my friends and contacts revolved around using and selling. I cut off all sober friends I had, not even on purpose, I just had no time for them. I showed up to a family function like once a year, high out of my mind or drunk off my ass just trying to bear through it. It was this lack of contact that let me get so deep, in my opinion. I was talking to a friend I met through WoW in my teenage years trying to explain it to him and it finally hit home when he realized just how little I knew of the years that had passed in terms of news. I used the internet to source and buy drugs and that was it.

Why did you stop?

I was arrested for violent first degree felonies and reconsidered everything about my life.

Congrats on getting out of the trade. The drug world seems hesitant to give up those who fall in.

You've covered a lot of the negatives of drug dealing. Outside of the money, is there anything you miss about the life?

From this current perspective? Not a fucking thing.

What drugs did you sell?

Anything and everything I could make a profit from. I started with Mushrooms and Marijuana. I moved into the world of RC's (Research Chemicals) with a chemical called 4-aco-dmt and eventually moved into benzodiazepines, stimulants, entactogens (Think Ecstasy-like), psychedelics, dissociatives, opiates, you name it. RC's or bath salts were just too lucrative and I personally was fascinated by them. When you can buy a gram of a drug that costs $20-40 and doses with 10mg that you can sell for $10-20, how do you not?

have you ever done any RCs?

I kept a list of every substance that I sampled, one moment while I find it. Cannabis

Alcohol

6-APB

Methlyenedioxymethamphetamine

Methylenedioxyaminoindane

Methylenedioxymethcathinone

4-Methylmethcathinone

4-Methyl-Ethyl-Cathinone

4-Flouro-Methyl-Cathinone

Dimethlytryptamine

Dipropyltryptamine

5-Methoxy-DMT

5-Methoxy-MiPT

4-HO-MET

4-HO-DMT/4-PO-DMT (Mushrooms)

4-ACO-DMT

LSA

LSD

2c-E

2c-I

2c-P

2c-D

2c-t-2

DOC

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone

Amphetamine

Methamphetamine

4-Flouroamphetamine

4-Flouromethamphetamine

Cocaine

Crack Cocaine

Methylphenidate

Dextromethorphan

Nitrous Oxide

Methoxetamine

Hydrocodone

Oxycodone

Methadone

Morphine

Heroin

Hydromorphone

Tramadol

O-desmethyltramadol

Nicotine

Phenazepam

Lorazepam

Diazepam

Alprazolam

Clonazepam

Diphenhydramine

JWH-018

JWH-073

JWH-081

JWH-210

JWH-250

SR-18

Zolpidem

Zopiclone

Gabapentin

Pregabalin

Cyclobenzaprine

Is this really removed? That would be disappointing. How did you aquire new customers? Who were your vendors/suppliers? What were your terms with them? What terms would you extend to your customers and how did you decide who was credit-worthy? Did you have any emplyees? How many? How did you keep your records on clients? I have alot more questions for you if you have the time to answer.

Social networking is how I met everyone. I started out selling to my friends, and met their friends, and it took off. I purchased Research Chemicals from Chinese and Thai labs and bought weed and psychedelics just from other dealers I met. I bought two pounds of marijuana total from the cartels during this time.

It was always me and a friend. I was working with one guy, but he threw me out of our house. I moved in with a guy I sold to and started up with him.

I got all the time in the world until my NA meeting starts.

How did you know who was cool and not?

So you never grew?

I started out by growing Mushrooms in my bosses basement. We switched to weed after a year or two. I only met people through people I knew. I didn't always, I got jacked two ounces of chronic once ($600 where I live) because I was new and idiotic.

Growing mushrooms and weed was probably the best parts. I had a blast build aeroponic system and watching mycellium grow.

If you had had the chance to legally deal weed/shrooms/etc. do you think you would have stuck with it? Do you think it would have been a totally different situation?

Yes, I am for full legalization of all drugs everywhere as well as education. I would have stuck with it regardless until I got arrested. It would have been different, a lot different.

I'm glad to hear you say that. It sounds like you kind of slipped into harder stuff, do you believe the "gateway drug" theory?

No. My first drug was IV morphine in a hospital after a Testicular torsion. So if anything, my gateway was a hospital.

this is completely off topic but you'd know if you had a testicular torsion right? In other words, it hurts like a bitch?

Yes. OH MY GOD YES. I have cut off the majority of the flesh from one of my toes while drinking, and it didn't have shit on this.

Your testicle literally starts dying as the blood flow is cut off. I was in 11th grade in my first class when suddenly it felt like someone had not just kicked me in the balls, but used a burning hot iron to smash one of them. I drove home screaming, yelling at every bump. I laid down for 2 hours before WebMD'ing it and realized what I had and that amputation was a real possibility at that point. I called 911.

Wow, reading this was a big eye-opener for me. I almost went down the same path in high school. My freshman and sophmore year I started dealing and backed out after my partner decided to call it quits. I always wondered what it would be like if I kept going. Thank you and congrats on turning things over.

As far as questions go, what was the worst experience you've had during a deal?

I sold to middle class white people, the worst was I got jacked for two ounces of chronic ($600). Fucker.

What do you do now that you've cleaned yourself up? How was it mending the broken relationships when you got out?

I work for a software company, I met my boss in rehab.

I dumped everyone I knew for the most part. I haven't talked to anyone from that life except the 3 people I've ran into either through rehab or NA. My family...was loving and supporting, I don't deserve them.

So you didn't go to university? Has the criminal record been a big deal for you? Pretty lucky to find your boss in rehab. Also, how do you deal with the fact that you now have to be more sensible with money and take time to save up for things etc, and can't make an absurd amount of money quickly?

Good luck with things.

I take it a day at a time. It's kind of easy now that I'm sober. All I ever bought was drugs, as many drugs as I could get. I stole a lot of my groceries and hygiene products from Wal*Mart. I am in debt $20k from rehab and court, and I take it as getting off lightly.

At what point in your life did the idea of drug dealing become a reality for you? Like when did it go from something criminals do, to something you do?

When my friend and my boss all quit Wal*Mart and started growing shrooms in her basement.

Have any advice for the younger generations?

Don't break the fucking law. It's simple, but at the same time not. It's just not worth it, it will have to be life and death before I break the law again, I don't even fucking speed.

I read comment in the 'hate my job' post and have to say this to ya man. I feel for you. I feel so much you. Not the kind of feelings that can easily be described, but a lock eyes and soul torn feel. ya know?

Ive stuck to only one "drug". Every aspect of it. And even though the hearts and minds of the country are changing, mines not. My friends are paychecks that I text only to see if they are looking. Every car in front of my house has a UC listening to my phone calls. My paranoias only go away when im looking over my shoulder. Every relationship ive had has described me as sketchy or shady. I refuse to go around anyone in my family because I feel like itd influence them. I don't want them to take the easy road out.

On the flip side, i pay my own bills, taxes, college bill, and shelter and food. But i'm still not happy.

Thanks for making me give my life a 7th look.
Hows your day been?

Slow day at work, Boss is at a workshop and blundering around Reddit has lead to this. Actually, after talking about all this so open and bluntly I can't wait for my Narcotics Anonymous meeting that starts in an 1:15.

How often did people you know get busted? I've known people that are sketched out when buying bud but is there really a reason for cops to care about super low level dealers that only deal in dubs-quarter oz?

If they catch you mid-act they'll bust your ass regardless. When I was arrested for armed robbery though the police told me they had no idea who I was and wanted to know why I was in the company of the people I was with. My girlfriend and her friend have huge rap sheets and gang involvement. The detective even told me after I bailed out they went easy on the charges because I seemed like someone who got mixed up with bad people. Little did they know I was probably the worst criminal out us.

I hear about Drug dealers all the time, ranging from lowly marijuana growers who do it for a little extra cash to huge drug cartels who are badasses that make millions. My question is, where were you on that scale? And also what was the most dangerous thing that ever happened to you while you were selling?

I made something like 100-300k over 5 years. I spent it all on alcohol and drugs. I am now 20k in debt after court proceedings and rehab.

have you ever thought about perhaps getting back into selling, without taking them yourself, just to pay off this debt?

Fuck. No.

I'm done breaking the law. I was an anti-establishment libertarian-socialist, and even though I still am, I obey the fucking law. I'm on probation and one fuck up and it's years of prison.

Have you ever been near death like Walt was when the brothers were waiting for him while he was showering?

Two occasions, both self-inflicted though.

First time I took ecstasy one night, and DXM the next night. It can cause what is known as serotonin syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome).

It was horrifying, DXM normally lasts about 4 hours, and I was inebriated for a good 48. I was having constant seizures, I thought I was dying, I just holed up and cried for a good part of those hours. I was completely out of control seizing on my friends bed as they were about to call 911 when it suddenly stopped.

Second, when I walked out of the restaurant there were 10-15 cops with their guns drawn on me. My partner hit the floor and I hit the ground running. I had a firearm in my hand, any one of those cops could have simply just shot me in the head and you know what, probably have gotten a promotion and been totally in the right. Someone I know was shot by cops for buying drugs, she relapsed...and never came back. I don't know why I am alive and she isn't, I deserve it so much more than her.

Username checks out.

Hey, I got verified for the Robbery! I can't...really...prove I was a drug dealer though in specific. You don't really leave a trace.

After you determined this was what you wanted to do, how did you find the wholesalers and customers to push product to? Did you sell directly to users, or did you sell to lower level dealers?

Both. I sold to anyone and everyone. I just met people through people. I started out in my little circle of potheads/psychonauts and just worked on meeting their friends.

RALT

Sup.

I knew we both used e-cigs, I did not know we were both ex-dealers.

Lol, should I know you from /r/electronic_cigarette >_>?

Yup. We have spoke a couple times a while ago, I was reading the thread about a job you would not recommend, I saw your post and read the whole thing, it was just interesting to see another dealers insight on the idea, after I read it I saw the username and remembered you from ecr.

I am almost off probation. I got busted a few years ago. Keeping my nose clean now. It sucks working 40 hours a week but at least you can answer your door.

It's worth it in every way. I love not being a slave to drugs.

Are you a badass drug lord like Walter White?

No. I grew mushrooms and weed, and I sold Research Chemicals, but I came nowhere near that level. I to my knowledge have not killed anyone.

That's ashame. You should learn to apply yourself.

I am employed by a software development company and I am forming my own small retail business, but thank you for the words of encouragement :)

What did you think of The Wire?

AMAZING show! Mother fuckin Omar's comin.

Right on. West coast or East coast? Just curious what kinda dope you got hooked on. I am glad you made it out alive. I have only been sober for a little while now, and it ebbs and flows. You really gotta walk away from anyone that uses.

Do you frequent /r/OpiatesRecovery, /r/REDDITORSINRECOVERY or anything like that? I always find the recovery subbreddits extremely helpful.

I love /r/OpaitesRecovery :D. Like, i really, really, love that place.

West coast, Black Tar Heroin.

What was the drug situation like in the slammer? Was there a possibility to keep dealing?

People come in with their assholes stuffed full with Heroin.

Technically yes, but I wanted no part of it.

[deleted]

I went through a 8 month Outpatient, I attend at least 3 12-step meetings a week. I have a group in an hour and a half actually...

I know I am/was fucked up in the head. I was molested as a child and it severely warped who and what I was, how I viewed myself. I also am Bi-Sexual and was living in fierce denial of that, as I felt that if I was Bi it somehow made what happened to me as a child not abuse. I ran to anything to take me away from this world, that made me not me. Opiates were the best for this, but I used fucking anything. From the 2nd time I smoked weed I wasn't sober until I got arrested and kicked Heroin in jail.

Ultimately, in a way, it was worth it, because I can say I don't hate myself today. I don't view myself as a victim anymore. I wish it hadn't cost others so much though, I've wreaked havoc and hell in my friends and families lives. I can deal with the consequences that I personally deal with...but it hurts to think of what I've done to other people.

Ever purchase from silk road or knew anyone who had?

Nope, but was very familiar with it. I had no need, Silk Road is generally overpriced.

What is your plan now that you have a felony record? I'm sure finding work is going to be hard, right?

Met my boss in rehab, I work for a software company and am starting up my own small retail business with him as well.

How did you execute your robbery? Was it calm and cool, or violent and frantic?

I was, but my partner was not. Basically, he had been stealing from his dying uncle to support his Heroin & Cocaine habit. It got found out, he needed money quick to un-pawn everything. This man was my girlfriends friend from school, I don't even like the bastard, but we had been arguing and so I agreed thinking maybe I'll get blown out of it.

He does the first one, gets $20 from the waitresses tips, took him an hour of prowling around outside and being a general wuss. This guy is a gangbanger too, a member of one of the local Blood chapters, how, I don't know.

We take the $20 and regroup at Mcdonalds as we were coming down off the Cocaine and hungry. We eat, pick the next target, and we're off.

I go in with him this time as like, fuck if I know, moral support. He has my firearm & he's in charge. We go in, corral the customers into one place and the employees went with them. I pick out an employee and tell him to open the cash register. The employee is halfway to the register when my accomplice flees, just fucking runs out of the building to my girlfriend who was our getaway driver. Not wanting to get left behind, I follow suit.

So just to recap at this point, two violent felony crimes had been committed for the grand sum of fucking Mcdonalds.

We pick another target, thinking "The cops probably weren't called, we didn't get anything!" and I take the gun, and I tell him I'm doing everything. We mask up, head in. No customers, only two employees, awesome. I get a girl to open the cash register while displaying the gun (It was empty, just fyi) and grab all the cash. She was crying profusely the entire time and I attempt to comfort Her telling Her she will be safe, we will be gone in a moment. I bag the cash, we walk outside. It was probably like...$500ish.

We step outside and there's a fleet of Police, I think 10-15, hard to recall, lots of flashlights in my face. My accomplice drops, I book it. I outrun the Police momentarily and scream at my Girlfriend to wait and let me in the car. I get in, we speed up to 30mphish and I look in the rear view just to see a Police truck smash into our rear left side, sending us spinning and the engine dies. I throw the gun and cash out the window and go through the proceedings. I was so stupid I had another $600 in cash I made selling drugs that day, and the cops naturally took that too. I tried to get it back as they would know how much was stolen, but no Police Officer has a record of my wallet having any money. I don't blame them, I deserved to be robbed of my ill-gotten gains at that point.

That is the story, brief but to the point.

What would be done to someone who wouldn't "pay up". Like ranging from petty cash up to someone who owed ALOT. I watch a lot of CSI type shows and I'm curious how often that sort of thing actually happens.

I would very often have people over, or leave someones house after smoking a lot of weed with them and just forget to collect. One guy in particular I did that to basically every time, he would just bring it next time. I never had to "collect", but I sold to middle class whites (Seriously, I had one black client) and they always had cash up front.

Were you part of any type of organization? My (very limited) understanding of selling is that you've got to be connected to something larger if you are going to get away with it. It seems like local gangs would want to keep the monopoly on drug sales in the area and would stamp out any sellers that weren't paying them royalties, because capitalism and lawlessness.

It's totally laissez faire here. On the coasts you deal with that bullshit, I never ever ran into a problem once with "territory" or "taxing". A lot of drug dealers move to the Midwest because it is a paradise for the independent drug dealer.

What did you sell?

Anything I could make money with. I specialized in Marijuana, Psychedelics, and bath salts.

Because of the constant " Don't do drugs kids!" drilled into our brains during childhood I have to ask, How bad were the side effects and why did you start dealing?

I started dealing because I loved Marijuana and wanted to grow and distribute it. I kept dealing because I loved independence (Or what I thought was) and cash.

Side effects? I almost killed myself a good handful of times, overdosing on Heroin, mixing drugs that can cause Serotonin Syndrome, (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome‎). Overall, my health appears to be fine however. I feel just as mentally acute as before, and more open minded than before for sure.

[deleted]

I bought two pounds of shit weed from the cartels once. Never again, garbage product.

I however, became a Heroin & Cocaine addict. Once this was established, I met up with a Pisa (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pisa) everyday to pick up as much Heroin & Cocaine as I could and drive around all day shooting up with my girlfriend selling drugs.

I have been to Mexico once on a cruise when I was like 15, the only time I was transporting across borders was going into California for chronic from corrupt medicinal shops.

I think it's awesome that you're actually doing an AMA on this, and I remember seeing your comment in the other thread too. A little off topic, but have you ever watched Breaking Bad?

Ever since it's inception :). It came out right as I was starting up. Amazing show, very realistic in my opinion for the most part.

How long were you in the drug game. Did you make enemies? Did you ever have to pay a "tax" to gangs or the cartel. Did you know anyone people like that?

I supported myself from 18-22. No tax, it's very laiessez faire here. No enemies, I was my worst enemy.

As a guy who had a brother who OD'd on synthetic heroin, fuck your past. But thank you for cleaning your life up.

As someone who has lost two childhood friends to drugs and enabled the addictions of hundreds of others, I agree with both points.

What is the most amount of money you have ever held in your hands at any one time?

Not a lot, it was something around $10,000. Money was always reinvested and spent on drugs and alcohol for myself.

What part of the country did you deal in? Have you ever done deals with Bloods, Crops or any infamous gang?

I purchased a total of 2 LBS of Marijuana from the cartels as well as bought a lot of Heroin and Cocaine for personal use. I wasn't really aware of the gang culture here until I went to Jail. In Jail I got a crash course in the local Bloods, Crips, Sureños & Norteños as well as the local Nazi groups. Midwest.

This post could potentially change my outlook on what I currently do for a "job" and I agree with OP completely, once you see those dollar signs, you make choices outside of who you are, greed is one hell of a bitch

I hope you at least give a long sober look at what you risk on a daily basis. Cost benefit analysis man, it just doesn't work out in the end.

Was there ever a time you thought your life was in danger, while dealing drugs?

No, only when taking them and committing the robbery. I sold to white middle class folks.

If this is still open, what were the economics of it like? Was it just like

• get money

• spend money on more drugs

• Repeat

Or was it a bit more complicated?

Did you run more of a lowscale small operation or whatever, or were you more like highclass?

What drugs did you sell?

Well, that's sure the basis of it. Depending on supply though we did various things to get more drugs. We got Californian Medical cards through crooked doctors and would run LBS across state lines at one point. We had a grow up in a basement at one point, so a lot of funds were re-invested to expand the operation. Sometimes though, I just called up someone I knew and had them drop a pound or two off.

Bath Salts were even easier, I would just contact the labs/re-sellers, western union some cash, and they would be in the mail within 2 weeks, just waiting for me.

I made roughly 200k over the 5 odd years, so somewhere from 40-60k yearly. I however, did not really make a thing, as all money was reinvested or spent getting high myself.

Do you agree that the system, family and society are all frauds and that crime is a way to confront those failures?

"Society is a fraud so complete and venal that it demands to be destroyed beyond the power of memory to recall its existence."

Do you think that crime (in special drug traffic) is a consequence of social inequality (cause-consequence)?

I think your question is fallible in it's very essence. Who is to say that society & family have failed? I mean at the most base level, we're biological machines that life to reproduce, and I think we're doing damn good at that. I think crime is a human construct that was devised because someone dreamed up a concept of "fairness" and thus fair and unfair, and those that unfairly exploit others are "criminals". Still though, that's almost what life is about at a very base level.

Drugs are a consequence of us being complex biological entities. When you put drugs in, systems responds, chemicals are inhibited and released, it makes you feel things, make you feel different. As long as humans are alive, drugs will exist side by side. Hell, I remember reading some article that claimed that humans became an agrarian society simply to produce beer.

With shows like weeds and breaking bad out there how do you feel about the semi positive light that dealing has been dealt?

If you think Breaking Bad puts drug dealing in a positive light, we have been watching different shows. It portrays a very high-adrenaline lifestyle, because that is what it is, but look at the main characters, if you think they are shown in a positive light...I don't know what to say. I understand cheering for Walt as he goes along simply for the badass factor...but look at what he's become.

Almost all my friends smoke pot. Should i ditch them all or just smoke one on the occasion that i go over to their house?

I think marijuana is a rather benign substance and actually helped me with some psychiatric issues. It's illegal though so weigh that in with your decision making.

I have a few questions: What age did you get into dealing? What all did you sell? How did you avoid getting caught?

1. Started with Mushrooms, moved into Marijuana, then Research Chemicals. I didn't do much at all to avoid getting caught except be white, seriously. I was drunk and high the entire time, driving around with distribution levels of drugs on me most of the time.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ktv0i/iama_former_drug_dealer/cbspk62

Describes what made me change it all.

Is the life of a drug dealer like in breaking bad?

It's a very accurate representation of a high-level supplier in my opinion. Dramatized, but, so well done.

Presumably you got to visit manufactures and growers. How clean were their operations?

I only ever saw our own operation and one Marijuana clone farm in California. It was...well...like an indoor greenhouse. Lots of plants, lights, and water. The weed I grew at least, I treated with the utmost care, growing Marijuana was one of the few things that actually made me feel at peace and content while I was doing it, but really, horticulture in general is amazing.

what is your opinion on the war on drugs? Does it really help, or just perpetuate the problem?

It created a whole new "problem". People will inevitably use substance to alter their moods. It was insanity to criminalize human behavior that doesn't hurt other people. Now that it's illegal, it hurts other people, causes violent crime, street-level drugs lead to overdoses and losing limbs due to IV drug use.

We can either rationally start dealing with drugs are a psychological, medical, and societal issue, or just keep our for-profit jail & prison system going.

Did you try to convince people into stepping up into harder drugs? Or did you just let them buy what they want

I informed them of my wares and would go on at great lengths about the positives and negatives and try and educate them, especially when it came to Research Chemicals or Bath Salts. I did convince and sell and hook many people on Mephedrone and MDPV.

What is your internet name?

Ralt :P