Albany

Law Enforcement

In Albany, some cops were cool and others would take you in. Friends had been busted, and Gov. George Pataki’s support for the Rockefeller drug laws was a sore point. There was hope that Eliot Spitzer might move things toward making New York the thirteenth medical marijuana state. Police kept looking for dealers and often focused on people on parole. Patrols were generally lighter outside Arbor Hill. New York has since changed its cannabis rules, as explained in Marijuana Laws.

Where to Buy Marijuana

South Pearl Street, Second Avenue, Henry Johnson Boulevard at Central Avenue and Madison Avenue in the college district all came up. Downtown’s west side, bounded by Henry Johnson, Livingston, Central and Pearl, had small US$10 zip bags of good indoor weed. Older sellers had a reputation for treating customers well.

In Arbor Hill, especially Clinton Avenue and Henry Johnson Boulevard, newcomers could draw attention from both sellers and bicycle patrols. One suggested explanation for being there was getting off the CDTA bus at the wrong stop. Robbery was a serious concern, especially after dark or away from other people. The advice was to stick to daylight and avoid a secluded corner. Transactions sometimes happened inside a business, in its bathroom or in a car. College students could get targeted with bait-and-switch deals.

Pine Hills, sometimes called the Student Ghetto, had a different feel. Around Quail Street, Washington Park and the Washington, Central, Western and Madison corridors, people sat out on porches and stoops. A friendly greeting went further than a cold approach. Lark Street drew hippies, Rastas, hipsters, Chicanos, homeboys and the Rainbow crowd. It was a good place to meet people, though the sellers were more often down toward Arbor Hill past Washington Avenue.

At UAlbany, introductions were the norm. One referral led to the wrong house, where a nervous student asked the visitor to stay on the porch and still sold them weed. On campus, cameras and University Police made open deals risky. A wooded area by the lake, right next to UPD headquarters, sometimes drew a seller around dusk alongside the usual people exercising.

Marijuana Prices

• About US$10 for a cheap baggie of schwag, described as roughly an eighth
• Schwag: US$80 for a half ounce or US$150 for an ounce
• Hydro (dro): US$140 for a half ounce or US$280 for an ounce
• Yumbolt: US$50 for an eighth, US$100 for a quarter, US$200 for a half ounce and around US$400 for an ounce
• The informal ceiling for top-quality bud was US$20 per gram

Types of Marijuana

There was cheap local schwag, plus White Rhino, Sour Diesel, Juicy Fruit, AK-47 and the especially popular Northern Lights.

More Information

Sometimes Strawberry Cough or Diesel came up from New York City. Vermont sent down some excellent medical strains, and Canadian flower also turned up. Cheap Mexican dirt weed was full of stems and seeds that added weight without doing much for the smoke. Dealers tended to know when police were ready to pounce.

Washington and Lincoln parks were usual smoking spots. Lincoln was close to a school, which made people wary of harsher penalties. Washington Park was also near a school, but its east end near the lake and Lark Street felt more laid-back. Joints and blunts drew less notice than a pipe. Sitting against a tree in broad daylight passed without an encounter on one occasion.