20 minute read
TALKING BLUNT
In a conversation from four years ago, a pot dealer talks shop, the economy, and politics
By EVANGELINE BRENNAN
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When a campus pot dealer voices his opinion about state marijuana legalization, it’s atypical for them to say that, while they think it’s smart from a business standpoint for the state to capitalize on the possible income from taxing marijuana, they don’t see themselves favoring it in the future, believing it could make them begin to resent what they had once loved about their state.
It was a warm Spring afternoon in 2017 when a dealer in the notoriously known “party dorm” at their small, private four-year university sat down for an interview about his college side hustle. He was just a freshman then, looking for an easy way to make money and stoke the flames of his own smoking habit. The source, who chose to remain anonymous, will be referred to from here on in as “Mr. Blunt.”
In the time of this interview, the media liked to portray drug dealers as people you would least expect; they were people like Nancy Botwin, the suburban housewife from Weeds, and the high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, from Breaking Bad, or whatever comical character screenwriters could come up with for movies. Given the representation, the fact that Mr. Blunt is a nondescript kid from a suburb in New York state should come as no surprise.
Dressing in a navy blue, long-sleeve Vineyard Vine shirt and khaki pants, he sat on the settee of the dorm’s common room, one leg propped up on the knee of the other and leaned back nonchalantly. He didn’t seem to care that anyone could walk in at any moment, be it another student or campus security. In this particular dorm, there was an unspoken rule of sorts, a “live and let live” motto that guided these college freshmen and the resident assistants through each day. This dorm took care of their own. They grouped together for parties. They texted warnings in a house group chat if campus security was in the area nearby. They cared, and so, for one year, this dorm acted as a family—a highly dysfunctional one— but still a family. So, of course, Mr. Blunt had nothing to fear sitting in the high-traffic common room just off the entrance of the building while talking about the small weed business he ran out of his shared room. For him, there was nothing to fear, no long-term consequences he had to worry about.
In fact, when asked about any possible consequence he thought he would have to face if he were ever caught, he laughed and shrugged his shoulders saying, “I don’t know what the school’s policy is, but it would probably be something like being suspended or probation or something like that, but I’m careful with it so…” At the time, Mr. Blunt stated that he would—at most—have an ounce of weed (the equivalent to about a small sandwich bag) at any given time, making sure to hide it carefully in his room given the number of surprise inspections the dorms would have throughout the year. If he had been caught selling, he could have been convicted of a felony, jailed for seven years, and faced a fine of $5,000. Depending on the harshness of the persecutor, he could have been tried for a much harsher crime; at the time, according to Penal Law 220.44, the sale of “marihuana”
on the grounds of an educational facility is considered a class B Felony and punishable with up to 25 years in prison and a fine up to $30,000. The “dealer” would also be subject to the policies of their university.
If Mr. Blunt were to ever be caught in possession of marijuana by one of the public safety officers on campus, he would have run the risk of suspension or expulsion according to their school’s guidelines in addition to any judicial punishments. For the same crimes by today’s standards in New York state, possession of “marihuana” up to one ounce would constitute a civil violation and incur fines of no more than 50 dollars and face no jail time. If he were to be caught selling up to 24 grams (just shy of the 28 grams in his biweekly ounce pick-up), he would be charged with a misdemeanor and up to one year in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine. A sentence paling in comparison to the previous felony charge.
This decriminalization on a state level occurred in conjunction with the popular vote and the state’s new ability to tax marijuana. Colorado, a state early in the queue to legalize the Schedule I drug, has seen an increase in state revenue each year based on marijuana taxes, licenses, and fee revenues. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, in 2014, revenue reached $67,594,323 and the most recent complete year reached a whopping $302,58,426 in state-collected revenue. Also, in 2019, Leafly, who touts themselves to be the largest cannabis website in the world, estimated California collected approximately $635 million in state and local cannabis tax revenue, a 35% rise since 2018. This despite the mediocre reception of Prop. 64 in California cities and counties when it comes to the legality of cannabis businesses. Proposition 64, passed by majority vote on November 8, 2016, decriminalized the personal possession and use of marijuana in adults 21 years of age and over, thereby reducing penalties in conjunction with these acts.
Despite this newfound view towards marijuana on a state level, Mr. Blunt was hesitant when discussing the effect state legalization could have on lowering the demand for weed through illegal sources as opposed to going to a dispensary. “I think that [state legalization] won’t have much of an effect because a lot of the distribution places you have a lot of identification and prerequisites to buy from there, he said. “So for people that don’t want to have to go through that, come to me, I guess. And I think it’s more expensive at a lot of those stores/ dispensaries.”
In fact, he might have been spot on in his guess. Looking back three years later, college pot dealers still operate in the same manner that they have grown accustomed to. They still have clients-students knocking on their door or sending them a text on a number they got from a friend to purchase through illegal means, despite the new ability to purchase directly from a dispensary. College students seem to still be in a mindset of “this is an illegal act” and so they purchase it through illegal means. On one hand, they are correct in the fact that their schools and universities still outlaw the substance and act of partaking in marijuana and city and county laws still apply, but, even if these rules and laws were to change for whatever reason in the future, convenience is king to a college student, and if they could buy it on campus from a friend of a friend, it seems that they will continue to do so, if anything, to avoid traveling to a dispensary or the sometimes exorbitant price of taxes tacked onto their purchase.
It appears that, regardless of the time, college drug usage and deals are going to be heavily insulated to the collegiate system itself. It becomes difficult to separate one from the other. So, campus pot dealers—short of being caught—your side hustle might be something that is able to stand the test of time. As Mr. Blunt believes, regardless of state legalization and on-campus competition, the law of supply and demand stands, and there will always be a demand in college students. He started because he had a friend that sold and, though he didn’t take the opportunity until some time later, the fact that he could sell weed and support his own smoking habit led him into accepting the offer. He merely filled a space in the market by supplying to the party dorm on campus because he lived in it.
For Mr. Blunt, his chosen side hustle came about through opportunity and his connections. He could and so he did and there wasn’t anything wrong with it unless he was caught. In the future, his political conservatism very well may influence a shift into a more conservative stance towards marijuana and state and federal legalization as well, but, while he was still in college, he still saw his place in it and chose to continue smoking weed every day to every other day, a habit he had picked up in the ninth grade.
Mr. Blunt has since graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the undisclosed university.
ELECTRICITY
Through the Screen
By MELODY BATHAEE
Weathers embarks upon a unique approach to connecting with their audience
As musicians search for innovative ways to guide music into the homes of listeners, Los Angeles based alternative rock group Weathers brings to light the once inflamed soul changing experience of live concerts. In the transition to a remote lifestyle for most during the worldwide pandemic, the band not only releases two singles “Always Tired” and “C’est La Vie” in a five month period, but creates a true, virtual live performance right from viewers’ screens at home.
Now, this is no ordinary livestream in an artist’s bedroom where they answer questions about their daily routines or expose the meanings behind popular lyrics. But a full out recorded video shoot in a studio-sized venue with multiple camera angles alternating every few seconds, blaringly projective lights, and a statement wardrobe that makes you feel underdressed in your own quarters. Weathers’ image precedes them as an authentically pronounced band that carries their sets with unforgettable showmanship: whether they open or headline a show. The concert simulating, live viewership on July 18th, via the streaming service Veeps, stages no difference from the reputation that seizes the audience’s excitement as they portray their usual booming choreography whilst losing themselves in the music.
A live concert emulates a completely different environment than the ritualistic procedure of bumping a personalized playlist between
the ears. There is a present in-the-moment phenomena that happens a sea of bodies look up in a trance at their favorite artists whilst repeating memorized lyrics back to them and watching the pure excitement that is taking place on stage. Fans feel free from judgment and, often, a sense of euphoria visualizing the performance occurring in front of them. That irreplaceable feeling is savored today as the world cuts off social congregation on account of the mass spread of COVID-19. People begin to crave a spec of connection and liveliness by turning to musicians who use the outlet of music as a sparking ardor.
With tours pushing back dates and entertainers trying to find creativity in a time of crisis, Weathers paves the way for a rather untouched form of communication with their fan base that ties in the energy of seeing them live but shares the performance from the comfort of one’s home. The idea dawns upon their front man and lead singer, Cameron Boyer, and guitarist, Cameron Olsen, after receiving the news that their first national headline “Our Little Secret Tour” is postponed to February of 2021. Noticing that their regular Instagram live streams– consisting of acoustic versions of their most popular songs– could not keep their passionate listeners at bay for long, they thought bigger. “We’re not going to be able to play a show for these fans for a long time,” Boyer says. “Maybe we should try to put on a full on band show with all of the members playing full out: lights and all; like it’s a real show so that we can give the fans something that will hold them over till February.”
Interested in bringing all of the aspects of a typical, electrifying Weathers show into this virtual experience, the four members got to work on how to give these future watchers a real connection to not only the melodies and lyrics, but to the humans on the other side of the screen. “We really just wanted to put everything we could into it so that the fans felt like it was a real show,” he continues,
The band congregate for three days of rehearsal following their longest time apart to get back into the groove of playing with one another. Similarly to an in-person show, Weathers prepares for a blood pumping set on the day of the live stream, however, it feels slightly unusual having to break out of their once continuous routine of isolation that has adapted to the entire world. But that does not impact them from picking up right where they left off. “We did have to shake off a bit of rust but we’ve played so much that it’s second nature at this point,” Boyer says, “you just play a song and it all comes back.” Even though the nerves of playing in front of an audience no longer exist, there is still a pressure that the group pushes through amidst their return to the stage. In addition to their usual set that retrieves tracks from their 2018 debut album Kids in the Night, Weathers ties in three never before played songs. Incorporating their most recently released single “C’est La Vie” and a new, unheard song titled “Talking is Hard” posed to be slightly nerve wracking since having to pause from performing. Instead of stopping there, though, Weathers also covers their own version of “Lucky” by Britney Spears that turns the early 2000s soft pop hit into a more instrument heavy ballad; with electric guitar chords and an acoustic rhythm to allow the original beat to remain somber.
Throughout the duration of a concert, artists gain feedback from the audience– whether it be a plea for encores or unconsciously dancing to the rhythm of a song. But in this scenario, Weathers plays for a silent audience: releasing all of their energy to watchers with no
ability to see the reactions of their viewers on the other side of the screen. “It was pretty strange,” he says, “and you feel kind of this awkward silence and have the urge to fill it with something but you just have to accept that there’s no way around it and that’s just the nature of it.”
Even when faced with this challenge of building an atmosphere that resembles a social setting, the band continues with gestures, notions, and conversation that would intensify and excite the crowd, no matter who is in front of them. But the person-to-person interactions between artists and their fans is what makes a performance exhilarating. Cameron Olsen chimes in. “You feed off the energy of the crowd and there’s little things in live shows that are not going to be the same as when you are streaming,” he says. “But we are going to work with all we have. It was still fun but there is something nostalgic about playing live: going on stage and seeing all of these people are out there for us.” One experience that separates streaming and viewing a concert live, Olsen says, is “if they know the words that’s huge.”
They emphasize the line between listening to their songs and making the jump to attending their shows shares a greater level of desire and support. “It’s a huge confidence boost when the fans are reacting back to you. It makes you feel like you’re doing something right. It feels better to have them there but the nature of our situation forces you to accept it the way it is and allows you to move on: to just enjoy it.”
The Weathers livestream continuous to use aspects of audience interaction to make the set as realistic as possible. During their raucous single “Lonely Vampire” the group implements an explosion of energy from the audience during every show they play. Since the song came out in 2019, Cameron Boyer encourages the audience to crouch down during the bridge and as he screams the first words of the chorus, the mass of people in front of them jumps up in unison to the lyrics “And I can’t change” and dance ballistically. This electrifying tradition still stands within the livestream but is tweaked to accommodate this new reciprocity,” he says. “It was strange because that space was still in there for ‘Lonely Vampire’ where we extend the bridge so that it is longer compared to the record but instead of directing the audience, I thanked everyone that was tuning in and was involved to fill the space.” The front man expresses his longing for their usual connectivity with fans as he says, “I wish the fans could be there to jump with us and, like Olsen said, to sing the lyrics back to us because it really does amplify the emotions that everyone in the room are having.” Nonetheless, the hour-long session on July 18 brings together an international audience that gets a piece of the energy-riveting experience that is Weathers from all over the world. In reflection upon the event, Boyer and Olsen open up about what it is like
Bassist Brennen Bates, left, drummer Cole as artists to find the motivation to write Carson, Cameron Boyer, and Cameron Olsen. and produce music when inspiration is less prevalent as a result of the national quarantine that has especially engulfed Los Angeles. “There was a bit of an adjustment period when this started and we really just didn’t know what to do,” Boyer says. “There was a lot of down time and thinking ‘What are we supposed to do?’ But then we got to the point where we kind of saw the silver lining in it and thought that it was more of an opportunity being handed to us to take this time to experiment and try new things with our music that we normally wouldn’t have the time to do otherwise.” The group uses their new found commodity to push the boundaries that once confined them when busy opening for bands like Echosmith and Badflower on tour in the past year. “We are trying to expand Weathers as a whole and to see where we can go because we would usually not have this kind of creative freedom so it’s important to take advantage of it while we can.” As the “Our Little Secret Tour” dates and their ability to reappear on stage come closer, Weathers shifts their focus to the semi-permeable future and what it may hold. “We are constantly changing and still growing up, but at the same time trying to challenge ourselves because we don’t want to be complacent in writing the same style of songs multiple times,” Olsen says.
Boyer says, “I definitely think about the future a lot. Like where we are going to go and what Weathers is going to end up being. I eventually want it to be bigger than just the music alone. To be a culture, a feeling. Olsen and I have been writing a bunch of music that’s pretty different but still familiar and taking the first steps to expand Weathers as a memorable feeling to be associated with.”
“We almost want to be the soundtrack to a kid’s high school experience,” Olsen says. “Where it becomes more than music and more than a band.” The introduction to authentic emotional ties within their music takes Weathers to a new level in exploring unique routes of raw innovation that links the band’s image to the atmosphere they create live.
In 2020, the future is unpredictable and an endless thought of results. “There is so much space and time to keep growing so
it’s exciting to see where we will be in some time,” he continues.
Weathers continuously works towards one initiative that is spoken about through their music and portrays the message strongly. Songs like “I’m Not Okay,” “Casual Mondays,” and “Problems” carry an upbeat track but share deeper thoughts on mental health awareness. The band writes lyrics touching upon internal battles and turmoils with self-identity that instate a repeatability to societal pressures. Themes of normalizing action towards bettering oneself and building the courage to accept help make the alternative rock group veracious.
In light of social distancing procedures and the effect it has on mental health, Boyer says, “It’s really easy to get lost in quarantine and lost in your thoughts, which is okay but there comes a point that it can be dangerous. When you feel out of a routine and you’re not doing certain things, you can fall into a pit of nothingness which is kind of how it feels sometimes.” Weathers advocates acknowledging and embracing who you are, but working to find help if needed: “It’s important to stay busy but also to make sure you have at least one person that is your lifeline– someone you can reach out and talk to, especially in this unique situation, as a support system. It is important to stay attentive to your thoughts but if you do go to a bad place, work through it and don’t necessarily ignore it because it is a work in process. It really always is.”
Going back on tour in February as national headliners, Weathers takes the experience of their livestream concert with them and talks about what they are most looking forward to once back on the road. Finally taking new music to the stage and creating fresh memories in between adds a gratifying aspect to touring again. “We’ve never done a national headline so I’m excited to see how well it does, see if people actually come out and see us,” Boyer says. For the lead singer, it is a holistic experience that takes up more than the venue or the fans. He discloses the one of a kind moments of cross-country scenery and irreplaceable views. “I’m the only guy in the band that really enjoys the long rides when I’m either driving or sitting in the back.
When I think of tour I will always remember the shows and fans but the parts that stick with me are the little moments when we, for example, pass by the same house every single time we go on the road because it’s on our route or always go to the same restaurant.” One specific captured memory, he reveals, is seeing the sunset while driving through Montana. The adventures that last forever shape their unique snapshots of life and bring soul back to touring. Memories like hearing “Happy Pills” on a radio in Iowa, stopping for the largest cinnamon rolls at Heaven on Earth when driving from Oregon to California, or going on stage in Pittsburgh after being caught in the rain during their first tour, spark realness to encounter when performing across the country.
The Weathers livestream opens the door to new forms of communication between artists and their fans by providing a platform that strikes up human connection from across a screen. Their showmanship and authenticity entices listeners to do more than just listen. Intriguing and extraordinary, they turn music into experience.
