‘I’ve become much more critical of people, less trusting’: We spoke to a Rutgers drug dealer
You may have used his product
You’re walking down Easton when all of a sudden you’re hit with some secondhand haze and the stroll gets a little more mellow. Or you’re at a house party and see your friends snort some snow with a $20 (let’s be real, probably more like a $5).
I didn’t know any dealers, so I asked around and eventually was able to meet with a local street pharmacist. Initially, we met in a public location, but soon after, I was led down a dark alley with a liaison, the dealer, and another guy. It quickly became apparent that the dealer was not aware of my intent to interview him. I assumed my liaison had asked beforehand but realized that conversation hadn’t happened yet when he asked the dealer about it in front of me. Luckily he was cool with it and asked to be referenced as “The Dealer” in this article.
What do you deal?
Mary Jane, N-Bome (a.k.a. 25i-nbome; I’ve never heard of this before).
What kind of drugs have you done?
Bitches, but actually vodka, tequila, weed, coke, 25i, LSD, DMT.
How did you get involved with dealing drugs?
In college, with too much debt. Met a friend of a friend, found better deals (better rates) and started increasing quantity, distributing to friends, and expanding out. I started out my junior year.
Who are your main customers?
Friends, friends of friends, and that’s where I draw the line. No randos.
What are some of the benefits of being a drug dealer?
Social proof. Money to throw at my debt. I started this because college is a business and not really focused on education. Shit was expensive.
Has dealing gotten you into any darker channels?
Not me personally, but I did get robbed once. I met this guy, a friend of a friend, for a pickup. He examined the goods, and then pulled out a gun. So I cut him off after because he had much darker connections than I did. Not worth the risk. We no longer deal with each other.
What’s the closest you were to being caught?
Sold to someone in an official position. Thought it was a set up at first.
How much do you make per week on average?
$100-200 revenue. I’m more a small scale dealer. $70-140 profit.
How has dealing changed you?
I’ve become much more critical of people, less trusting, but I’m able to better discern who my close friends are.
Anything you want to tell the RU community?
Weed is bad for you. Don’t smoke, kids.
I asked a few other questions the dealer wasn’t willing to answer. In the middle of the whole thing, he started burning the devil’s lettuce, and shit just got random. I learned quite a bit about the darker side of Rutgers and the New Brunswick community. We went off-topic a few times talking about music, art, girls, and the annoyances of life at Rutgers. All in all, I realized you don’t make as much money doing this as I thought, at least with weed. I’ll stick to my day job.