Pittsburgh

Law Enforcement

Pittsburgh city police generally seemed more interested in dealers than in someone with a bowl or under 3 g. Some people walked away from an encounter after staying calm and respectful, though it depended on the officer. Police in wealthier South Hills suburbs like Mount Lebanon and Upper St. Clair had a much stricter reputation.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Locals could find plenty of weed through friends or family. Visitors had a harder time, since people in the Burgh tended to keep their connections to themselves. Downtown, Oakland and campuses such as Pitt and Carnegie Mellon came up regularly. Oakland had wild parties, and Flagstaff was a summer hangout. The East End could turn up Haze but also plenty of short bags and wet beasters sold as named headies. Some people found better prices and quality in the suburbs, while others paid a premium there.

Squirrel Hill had a steady scene along Forbes Avenue between Shady and Murray, with teens, smoke shops, back alleys and even graveyards mentioned as gathering spots. Shadyside, Hazelwood, Greenfield and McKees Rocks also came up. Trust mattered more than a neighborhood name. Even friends of friends sometimes pinched from a bag, and offering to share was seen as a better way to handle it.

Marijuana Prices

• Mids: US$10–30 per ⅛ oz across the quotes, often about US$25, with US$40 per ¼ oz, US$70–100 per ½ oz and ounce quotes of US$80–125 or US$150–180.
• Beasters or dro: around US$40–45 per ⅛ oz, with beasters at US$225–275 per oz. The two labels could blur.
• Kind bud: US$15–20 per gram or US$40–50 per ⅛ oz. Nuggets and headies frequently came in around US$20 per gram.
• Better flower: US$40–50 per ⅛ oz, US$75–90 per ¼ oz, US$130–180 per ½ oz or US$220–300 per oz.
• Headies: US$60–65 per ⅛ oz, also called a ‘cut.’ Top-shelf eighths could hit US$70–100. Haze or ‘Piff’ was quoted at US$500–650 per oz.

Some mids were nearly dro quality. Others were just average. The variety could be wide for people with connections, but visitors often saw little beyond mids.

Types of Marijuana

Regular dro was common and could be decent. Haze, often called Purp or Piff, was among the steadier names. White Widow, Purple Haze, Orange Crush, Bubblegum, Blueberry, Trainwreck, Silver Lining, Northern Lights, Oompa Loompa, Bubba Kush, Black Domina, Manitoba Poison, Amnesia Haze, Romulan, Granddaddy Purp, Silver Haze, NYC Diesel, Sour Diesel, Cali Mist and Purple Kush all turned up. Pittsburgh had plenty of fruity weed. Ordinary dro sometimes went by a fancy name, and some of the best flower arrived from out of town with surprisingly little smell.

More Information

A lot of supply was said to come in through older mill communities such as Homestead and Duquesne and the city neighborhood of Hazelwood. Some associated that shift with mill closures and crime. Cheap beasters were everywhere, but the right mids often beat them for the money. Headies such as AK-47 and Blueberry could disappear in a day or two. Plenty of bud was sold wet, though some sellers took the time to dry it. Have fun in Pittsburgh. A good connection made a difference.