Dear Ask A Cop,
Hello, I have a question about weed sales in nyc. My daughter recently came to visit me from North Carolina. She’s 15 years old. She got some weed from my girlfriend’s daughters, who buy it all the time from the shops by my house. They’re all under 21, Why doesn’t (anyone) seem to care and what can you do to stop this from happening?
Aaron B.
Dear Aaron,
Thanks for the question. The best you can hope for, brother, is to speak with one of your local officers and find one that is interested in nailing them for selling to underage kids. The most recent information states:
Sale of marijuana in any amount to a person under 18 years of age is a class D felony and is punishable by up to 7 years of imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $5,000.
Sale of marijuana in an amount 3 ounces or less is a violation, punishable by a fine up to $250. Sale of between 3 ounces and one pound is a class A misdemeanor and is punishable by no more than 1 year of imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $1,000. Sale of marijuana in an amount between 1 pound and 5 pounds is a class E felony and is punishable by up to 4 years of imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $5,000. Sale of marijuana in an amount greater than 5 pounds is a felony and is punishable by up to 7 years of imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $5,000. Sale of over 100 pounds of marijuana is a felony punishable by 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $15,000.
This will them to work a sting on the place in order to bust them, but just be aware, that will take some time. If there was some scumbag in my neighborhood selling that shit to my kid, I know exactly what I would do, but I can't advise you to do that since it may result in a little jail time.
The kids today don't stand a chance against all the dope smokers. Hell, there are even billboards along the highways advertising the shit to them now.
Marijuana is a gateway drug and I don't give a damn what anybody else tells you. Marijuana is a gateway drug, PERIOD! They can take all their studies and surveys and shove them up their lobbyist-paid asses.
I was a cop for more than two decades and NOBODY knows better than cops what the trends and patterns of drugs, users, and their tendencies are. We are right there dealing with them, talking to them, watching them, day in and day out, and it happens time after time. If they are smoking weed today, chances are they will be using meth tomorrow.
Critics argue that the gateway theory is “oversimplified” and doesn't account for the complex social, psychological, and environmental factors that contribute to substance use. Allow me to point out a couple things…
The “Critics” are all paid by the marijuana lobbyists and say whatever they can to make their customers look better.
When critics say “oversimplified” STOP and PAY ATTENTION because they are talking about using common sense! Anything that is “over simplified” means people using common sense figured it out and they are now in damage-prevention mode.
Now I'm not saying that every single person that tries marijuana is going to use other drugs. I'm talking about those who try it and then start using it regularly. It is so simple, and so easy to see, that many people refuse to believe it because it IS so simple... It starts with smoking. It is a proven fact that kids who grow up with parents that smoke are far more likely to smoke themselves. Likewise, kids who have parents that use drugs are far more likely to use drugs. You can take that same concept and apply it to weed and other drugs. Kids who smoke weed are far more likely to move on to stronger drugs. I have had numerous users tell me straight up when I asked how they went from using marijuana to using harder drugs like Meth, Heroin, and Cocaine... "It made perfect sense to me, if Marijuana can make me feel good, then stronger drugs can make me feel better, so I tried them and now I'm hooked."
But really, talk to a local officer and work with him to see what can be done at that specific location.
Good luck.
AAC