Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2003
Source: Badger Herald (Edu, Madison,  WI)
Copyright: 2003 Badger Herald
Contact:  http://www.badgerherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/711
Author: Michelle Orris, City Editor

DESPITE PARAPHERNALIA CRACKDOWN, WEED TRADE STILL STRONG

Despite the federal crackdown on drug paraphernalia sellers and 
marijuana-related websites, several University of Wisconsin marijuana 
sellers say their business remains stable.

One UW junior marijuana seller said marijuana use on campus is more casual 
than people realize.

"It's not some dark underworld drug scene," he said. "The people who are 
doing this are laid-back, relaxed people. You get it from your neighbor or 
your friend down the street."

Another UW student and former seller said he was surprised by how 
widespread the marijuana industry is in Madison, even in his workplace.

"My manager overheard me telling someone about the pipe sale, and he was 
interested," he said. "Even the 36-year-old cook does it occasionally."

He said the university is unusual in that the marijuana sold is 
exceptionally high-quality, and buyers usually assume to pay $50 per 
1/8-ounce bag of marijuana.

One UW seller said the quality is always high because most of the drug 
comes from local growers who take care of their plants and sell it to rich 
university students who can afford the price. He said while areas in 
Chicago and Minneapolis have experienced a lack of marijuana supply, 
Madison's marijuana industry is thriving.

"It hasn't been dry in Madison at all; in Madison it seems like it never 
runs out because there is such a market for it," he said.

However, one former marijuana seller and UW junior said he has noticed more 
difficulty in obtaining the drug this semester and suggested tighter border 
controls and inspections for terrorism security have contributed to his 
difficulties.

But another seller said Madison dealers only work primarily through 
Canada's border rather than Mexico's and experience only minor security 
difficulties in crossing the border.

He said the dangers of selling the drug on campus appear nonexistent, but 
the risk becomes greater the farther it is transported. He said dealing is 
like a "phone tree," and sellers usually only know the person they obtained 
the marijuana from and the person they are selling it to in order to 
protect each other.

A UW sophomore and marijuana user said he is always cautious about talking 
about his drugs on the phone to prevent police detection.

A UW junior said he was caught for dealing marijuana in high school when a 
student confessed to breaking the athletic code through a party at her 
house, instigating police investigations that eventually led to the UW 
seller when four partiers admitted they bought from him. The UW student 
said sellers have an unwritten code of conduct not to squeal on each other.

"Within the people doing it, we say f-ck the police and don't take anyone 
down with you," he said.

According to Norml, a marijuana-reform organization, delivery, sale or 
possession with intent to sell 500 grams or less of marijuana in Wisconsin 
is punishable by up to 4.5 years in prison and a fine of between $500 and 
$25,000.

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced the federal crackdown on drug 
paraphernalia last Monday, announcing that 50 people had been charged with 
conspiracy to sell drug paraphernalia.

Acting DEA Administrator John B. Brown III said the prosecution of the 
nation's largest drug paraphernalia suppliers is a necessary part of the 
war on drugs.

"People selling drug paraphernalia are in essence no different than drug 
dealers," Brown said Monday. "These criminals operate a multimillion-dollar 
enterprise, selling their paraphernalia in head shops, distributing out of 
huge warehouses and using the World Wide Web as a worldwide paraphernalia 
market," he said, announcing the closure of 11 "illicit" websites selling 
drug merchandise.

Knuckleheads and Freedom stores are selling all of their pipes for half the 
regular price until sold out to avoid any legal trouble, according to their 
employees. The Pipefitter manager Greg Hinkley said he is also selling off 
all of his store's pipes to slow down business and ease into semi-retirement.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom