Boston

Law Enforcement

Small personal amounts in Boston sometimes ended with a warning, having to toss the weed or being told to take it inside. Several bags could be taken as evidence of selling and mean a night in lockup. At a Hemp Fest, a group smoking a bowl was kicked off the Common as police on horseback and plainclothes officers watched for deals. A separate after-hours stop in a workplace parking lot ended with an officer saying to do it at home next time.

There were also reports of Black riders and patrons facing more frequent and intrusive searches, including of dreadlocks. Clubs, bars, public buildings and parts of the transit system were all mentioned. Massachusetts has since introduced regulated adult use, as covered in Marijuana Laws.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Blue Hill Avenue had old-fashioned street sellers, some near the police station. The quality could disappoint, and it was a long way from the tourist spots. Harvard Square on the Red Line and outside Berklee on Massachusetts Avenue near the Hynes Convention Center stop were the alternatives. Punks, indie kids and the Jamaican crowd sometimes knew somebody, though a phone number was more common than a bag on the spot.

Summer could be dry as a bone while students were away. Berklee was one of the better chances then. At night, conversations outside clubs in the smoking area tended to go further than asking inside bars. Online neighbourhood contacts and friends of friends were other routes. Even someone who didn’t sell might go out of their way to make an introduction.

Marijuana Prices

• Schwag: US$20–25 per eighth. Mids: US$35–40 per eighth, or around US$45 for a quarter and US$75 for a half ounce.
• Kind bud and better hybrids: US$50–75 per eighth. One premium schedule put a quarter at US$120–140, a half ounce at US$175 and an ounce at US$240.
• Northern Lights or White Widow hydro: US$400–500 per ounce in a separate account.
• Named strains: US$60–80 for an eighth, including Purple and Strawberry Haze, Juicy Fruit, Bubblegum, Northern Lights, Cherry Berry, Blueberry and rarer hybrids.
• New Hampshire farm flower: US$50–60 per eighth. Often fruity and solid, if a bit stemmy and inconsistent.
• Local dank such as Critical Mass: US$70 for an eighth, US$130 for a quarter or US$250 for a half ounce. Fresher, frostier and longer-lasting than the NH stuff in the account.
• Top-grade Trainwreck, Knockout, T-Strain, White Widow or Scooby Snacks: US$80 for an eighth, US$150 for a quarter or US$270 for a half ounce.

More Information

An outdoor Snoop Dogg, 311 or Korn show could be a cloud of blunts. Barenaked Ladies or Josh Groban, less so. The old Boston Hemp Fest ran on the Common in mid to late September and drew thousands for music, food and cheap glass bowls. Some years the police left smokers alone, while other gatherings were stricter. Officers watched hard for trades, so the event was remembered as a place to meet people for later.