Cannabis
The Original Referral – How To Buy Pot 10 Years Ago
Before the internet, finding a decent plug was tough. It was either through a referral or to a lesser extent, hang around an area known for drugs and simply ask a bystander.
If you’re like me, a traveling pothead, we share a common issue. How to find a legitimate, reputable and consistent weed connection.
This sounds crazy, but I’ve found quality weed, and made friends, by asking people I think look like potheads and 9/10, I was right on the money. Sometimes you can smell the chronic, but there are other hints.
The Original Referral
Just 10 years ago, the “pot dealer” had the upper hand. The interaction would go something like this: You call/text to see if you’re dealer was around, after a predictable wait, you’d meet somewhere, he’d hand you a bag, you give him the money. No choices, no health precautions, no refunds. Seems so long ago now. The entire interaction from start to finish had a shady feeling to it, yet it was so simple and convenient.
Depending on circumstances (time, money, etc) you’d contact a couple of dealers to see who would reply first. If you had the cash, you were willing to wait for the dealer with the quality chronic.
Back in the day, pot dealers had their customers do their marketing for them. How many of us would get together with our friends to smoke a shared joint, only to talk about how every single one of us had the best chronic? Everyone was proud of their bud and would actively promote their source.
The Digital Referral
This entire scenario has more or less been eliminated with the introduction of dispensaries over the last 5 years or so. We can now easily login to the internet and review the reviews of other people to decide who to give our business to. The digital referral.
The obvious money to be made in the cannabis industry prompted the government to get in on the action and has driven the recent string of decriminalization and legalizations around the world.
In some ways, we’ve lost a unique interchange, free from the greedy hands of the government. I learned quite a bit from dipping my toe in the world of illicit cannabis sales. For one, it made good people who like to smoke and grow cannabis, into criminals. It helped develop a sense of street smarts and intuition.
OG Cannabis Delivery Services
Over the last 15 years, I’ve created a solid network of pot connections around the world. It’s important to support local pot businesses, like your local farms. It’s up to us to keep the industry pure as possible and have little to no input by the state.
I live in NYC and have experienced the drastic shift in the last two years. However, I still give my business to the OGs of the industry. The best quality and customer experience. I’ve listed my favorite delivery services below:
Keep a look out for my next article where I dive deeper into my preferred delivery services – Not The Fugazi.