He smiled widely as a J. Cole song played in the background, laughing at some joke as he weighed out half an ounce of weed, a blunt hanging from his lips. However blasé he may seem, counting out dime bags, he is steadfast and serious when he talks about the risks he faces dealing. He dropped his charismatic grin as he talked about his worries about how marijuana legalization will impact his income or legal wellbeing.   

“Back up in California when weed was first legalized in 2016 I saw how quickly the process completely changed the dealing game,” said Short, whose name has been changed to protect his identity. “Immediately small time dealers like me and my friends were cut out so we had to start selling our products for way cheaper in order to compete with dispensaries, which obviously didn’t make us a whole lot of cash.”

While the recent news about New York State’s decision to start penning legislation to legalize and decriminalize cannabis may seem like a victory for users, some individuals, like Short,  believe that the start to this legislation may not be a reason to celebrate just yet. As of today, the legislation is not formalized. Meaning while there are laws in place protecting those who possess smaller amounts of marijuana won’t be arrested, those who deal in large quantities illegally are not protected. And those who currently illicitly deal don’t think they have the means or support to transition to distributing weed legally.

“It seemed like it was so impossible for people who had been dealing illegally to start joining the legal process of distribution,” said Short. “It was clear to me that only people who were already wealthy had the ability to acquire the permits and stuff that would allow them to open up shop and that was just something myself and my homies couldn’t afford to do.”

Current laws, some activists believe, still over-police cannabis users and dealers especially if they are people of color. Currently, Black and white individuals use marijuana at the same rate, but Black individuals are four times more likely to be arrested for a cannabis-related crime.

Once the legislation was announced on March 31, the NYPD was given blanket instructions to stop arresting individuals for marijuana use or possession, however they can still issue arrests for drivers who are under the influence, or individuals with intent to distribute cannabis, but only if they also have large amounts of cash with them.

“At any given time I could have up to seven years prison time in my backpack,” said  Short. “I have been dealing ever since I moved here from California a couple years back, and it is my only source of income at the moment.”

Short works with an underground marijuana distribution service. 

“It’s kind of like Doordash but for weed,” he said . 

The service allows users anywhere in the city to text a number for a daily “menu” of cannabis products – ranging from flower, to edibles to dab cartridges. 

Each day the delivery personale, in this case Short, goes to a main distribution center to pick up a daily supply of product. Then, throughout the day Short and the other delivery personnel will receive text messages with addresses for delivery and will serve customers. 

“Because of the distribution and intent to distribute law, we can’t carry any cash with us. It is a  huge liability,” he said. So the service he works for deals solely with virtual transactions through apps like Venmo or Cashapp. “That has made it a bit trickier because now we can’t hide behind the anonymity of cash, so all our transactions are digitally logged and we could get in trouble for mass distribution of a still unregulated product.”

While decriminalization and legalization of marijuana is a big step in restorative justice – especially if New York State expunges the records of those with petty marijuana related arrest records – there are still obstacles in the way of those who want to get involved legally in the cannabis industry.

Another dealer, Marcus Smith (name changed for anonymity), works on a much smaller scale than Short. He and a few friends of his get their cannabis shipped directly from California. and distribute on a much smaller scale. He said he is really interested in continuing to work with marijuana, but the requirements needed to sell legally are nearly impossible for people like him.

“I’m a Black man in Bedstuy with two prior arrests,” said Smith. “There is no way they are gonna give me a license to sell and even if I can get my records erased, purchasing a legal selling license, getting a storefront, finding distributors is impossible for someone like me who doesn’t have the connections or the money to do that. So it is looking like I’ll just have to keep selling illegally, even though I don’t want to.”

A similar issue occurred in both Colorado and California when both states independently legalized marijuana distribution and consumption. 

“I had been trying to get my marijuana license for so long when weed was legalized in 2016, but it seemed impossible,” said Reese Benton, owner of Posh Green Retail in San Francisco, California. Posh Green Retail is the first Black-female owned and operated cannabis dispensary in the city and just recently had its grand opening on April 20. 

“The licensing process was so convoluted and so expensive and there were so many times I just wanted to give up my dream,” she said. 

But Benton said that all changed in 2018 when California enacted the Cannabis Equity program which gives licensing priority to those who had been affected by drug-related arrests or incarceration. Benton’s father served time for marijuana distribution when she was in high school, so this meant she would be eligible for the equity program. 

“Everything changed for me right then and there,” Benton said. “I was able to get some financial help, people to help me with my licensing process and just a couple of weeks ago I finally opened up shop.” 

While New York state legislators continue to hash out the details of the bill, many remain cautiously optimistic that the state will adapt similar record expunging and equity programs other states have. 

“I just hope that I can continue to break through and do what I know best,” said  Smith. “And I hope that I can do it legally, and I hope that people like me are included in the conversation while this law continues to get written, because my people are the ones who have been hurt the most by the criminalization of this plant.”

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The walls of Brooklyn Smokes are lined with glass bongs, pipes, and a multitude of e-cigarette flavors and appliances. But as people zoomed in and out of the packed vape shop, owner Shafiq Khan hovered around a product that has added a new type of customer to his business, Cannabidiol better known as CBD.

CBD has exploded into the U.S. market, popping up in places like Brooklyn Smokes and the local bodegas found on almost every corner in New York City. The compound is a non-addictive substance found in the plant cannabis and is used to treat ailments from stress and anxiety to cancer.

“People come to us for CBD, people who haven’t come to us before, people who have been coming to us for various things over the years,” Khan said while proudly displaying the variety of CBD products Brooklyn Smokes has for sale. “They now come to us for basically a new category that we didn’t even know about till a year or two ago.”

But as the product continues to boom, many customers and retailers have little to no idea what CBD actually is and does.

“If there’s any category for vape shops, smoke shops and even convenience stores, where you shouldn’t carry something without weeks of research, yeah it’s CBD.” Khan said. “Information is absolutely key when it comes to CBD.”

Owner Shafiq Khan shows an afternoon customer some of the CBD products available for sale at Brooklyn Smokes. Photo by Zachary Devita

The common misconception surrounding CBD stems from people’s assumption that the two primary species of cannabis, hemp and marijuana, are one and the same. While both plants contain the CBD compound, the usage and benefits of the two are vastly different.

A plant like marijuana yields a higher THC level, which causes psychoactive effects. Plants like hemp, with low THC levels, will have similar health benefits of a plant like marijuana with a non-psychoactive result. Some of the over the counter CBD products available include capsules, oils, lotions and even patches.

“CBD as a molecule…has the ability to have positive effects on the body,” said Cory Nick who owns the distribution company Natural Xtract. “CBD is essentially THC without the high. That’s how I describe it to most people and through testimonials it provides relief from stress, inflammation, pain and anxiety.”

Nick who has been in the CBD business since 2015, said he stumbled on to the CBD industry while he was importing e-cigarette products from China. After doing more research and attending some trade shows, Nick noticed the products impact on his customers.  

“For me it was because I was helping people,” Nick said. “Even in the beginning, when I started doing my own thing, I started meeting cancer patients and people that had severe ailments and we were testing these formulas and it really provided a difference. And that motivated me more to take it seriously.”

In a study by Harvard Medical School, CBD has been effective when used to treat those suffering from anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. One of the most powerful treatments CBD has been used for is battling childhood epilepsy syndromes. A variety of studies have found that CBD can not only reduce the amount of seizures, but in some cases stop them altogether.

Both Nick and Khan have bought into the benefits of CBD and credit social media and positive word of mouth for the product’s exponential growth.

“Social media has had pretty much the biggest impact because there really is no other form of media these days for a product like this,” Nick explained. “I mean, obviously there’s TV, but they’re shutting down these opportunities for hemp or cannabis businesses to advertise, so how else do you get the stuff out?”

Khan acknowledged the importance of social media but also stressed that without word of mouth, those suffering would not be able to provide assistance to others who deal with similar afflictions.

“If you have some sort of ailment, whether it be a minor ache or crippling anxiety and you find something that works for you, you’re gonna tell people about it and that’s a powerful thing,” Khan said. “Word of mouth is powerful when it comes to something so new, that is as powerful and helpful as CBD.”

For Kyle Gross, a 23 year old living in Washington D.C., word of mouth was an essential step in her journey to CBD use. While studying for her undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, Gross frequented the legal dispensaries and learned about the alternative CBD.

“I started using CBD because I’m actually allergic to THC,” Gross said. “If I smoke too often, I get sick with something called cyclical vomiting syndrome. However, the reason why I started smoking pot in the first place was because of health benefits and CBD is a great substitute.”

Thanks to CBD, Gross has found a way to enjoy the positive effects of a substance like THC without the wear and tear of it’s psychedelic properties. She encourages those who deal with similar issues to seek out CBD.

“The health benefits are so great, but it definitely varies by strain,” Gross said. “I use a vape pen and I’ve always had great results. But it really depends on the person and what they are dealing with.”

While the product has had positive impacts for those like Gross, Nick called attention to the legal gray area the industry finds itself in.

“Federally the plant cannabis with high THC levels is illegal,” Nick said. “So the reason we use the industrial hemp is one because of transparency, consistency and quality, but also to be federally compliant in this state and time.”

But Nick also said that the biggest pitfall from the lack of regulation has been the cutthroat competition that sprouts up, along with the lack of knowledge other retailers and distributors have about CBD.

“A lot of this industry is really pay for play and while there is support, the industry as it stands right now is very money driven,” Nick said. “I mean people out there, people assume they know everything about the product, I really don’t like that.”

For Khan, having an informed customer is the most important thing when it comes to CBD. He stressed that other stores should brush up on their knowledge about the product to help avoid the confusion surrounding the extract.

“An educated consumer can tell the difference between shady CBD and reliable CBD,” Khan said. “It’s a new thing and people don’t know how to approach it. You’ve got to be responsible for yourself and a lot of shops that I have seen, they know as little as the consumers do.”

The post CBD is the new non-addictive cannabis cure all appeared first on Pavement Pieces.