#why does weed and related shit gotta cost so much

[deusinabsentiaa]

I'm about to finish off my HHC pen and I'm so sad 😭 It's been so helpful with my mental health over the last week, every time I use it, I feel so airy and happy 🥺 I can't wait until I get a job again so I can buy it again 😩

[stonerbughead]

Maria watches friday night lights (#26)

5x03 here we are, Julie’s bad decisions are piling up! (I watched 5x04+5x05 too, just gotta edit all my ramblings into coherency.)

under the cut:

Wow the level of Lions pride there now is is truly amazing. It’s wild that Buddy now owns this East Dillon watering hole! Weirdly like...growth? Given how many different types of people are gathered to celebrate this team that was revitalized only a year ago? Wild.

Uh oh, why does Vince’s father getting out of prison seem like a bad thing. God things were finally going well for him!

Also love how I was equally as disturbed as Vince was by his mom cleaning, knew something was up!

Omg the video with Maura went viral! 2,000 hits. That’s like everyone their age right? 😬

“We didn’t do any of this crap when we were kids.” Tami’s look of “yeah right” made me lol

“You think maybe people change? You changed.” I was about to say it but then Vince did: “I don’t know. I ain’t gone to jail.” Bc the problem is — the prison system ensures that people remain in a permanent underclass once paroled, making it nearly impossible to escape the cycle. so unfortunately it seems very unlikely Vince’s dad changed for the better while in a prison, which is an inherently violent and traumatizing place to be, let alone for five years when he already had a track record for treating your mom like trash...oh babe.

Oh nooo Buddy Jr. is smoking weed. West coast, brother! Lol

Yikes this is really sad, Tami is like trying to subtly be like to Maura, ‘sooo did seeing a bunch of guys passing you around while drunk on video like...maybe traumatize you a bit?’ And Maura’s like ‘WE WERE HAVING FUN HAVE YOU EVER PARTIED.’ Hello, internalized misogyny and a need for therapy, plz honey. Seems like her parents are a lot angrier than she is!

“daddy issues.com, I feel you” is literally what I nervously sang out loud at Vince and his father reuniting.

Omg they’re forcing the girls alone to listen to a really boring lecture on alcohol? This just doesn’t seem effective.

Holy shit two of the football players were making fun of the video.....? Disgusting. Rape culture is the fact that people are making fun of a girl being passed around like a rag doll!

The TA giving Julie a C- bc he’s “spent time with her” and “knows she can do better” is super manipulative and creepy and oh boy I hate this harmful dynamic. He’s literally GRADING HER PAPERS. Nope nope nope.

oh god not the ol “weekly salon for promising students the professor just so happens to host” trope! OH GOD

Ooooh making Jess equipment manager??? Tami is the best. Aw Jess is so excited! I’m so glad that within five seasons they included a character like her who is a girl who also grew up with football and loves it more than some of the guys on this show do!

Ooooh they’re doing shirts and ties instead of jerseys on game days and community outreach. Mmhmm ok revive your image

Vince is losing his confidence and motivation as a captain now his dad’s home noooooo

Lol I knew Buddy was gonna blame the weed on “that hippie Kevin.” So predictable.

“You know maybe it’s not about you and it’s not about Pam, it’s about your son, who happens to need you.” YES ERIC TELL HIM

“Nobody said being a dad’s gonna be easy.” OOH OOH Eric give my dad one of these talks next

“Girls in locker rooms are bad ideas.” I can’t. Lol Tami got lil toddler Grace to say “think about it, daddy!!” She doesn’t play nice.

LMAO I have never related to Vince more than in this moment: “did you talk to your dad?” “Yep.” “how did it go?” *sprints away without answering*

Okay here we are, douchey assholes at the ~salon~ and Julie with a glass of champagne and a devious smile looks like she’s on a mission.

“You must be so proud to have such a distinguished wife.” Oh Jesus TA’s wife’s away on a “sabbatical in Boston.” I see where this illicit romance is going and THANKS I HATE IT

Oh geez Vince doesn’t like Jess being equipment manager? She looks so cute and excited!

Oh boy, Maura is clearly going through some shit, she is relishing in being caught. I know that Tami is judging making out in a supply closet as a concept, but it can be hot—however, in this particular case, i have to agree on not romantic.

“Everyone thinks that I’m married but I don’t feel like I am.” Lines men say before they cheat on their wife with an underage student under their tutelage they shouldn’t be pursuing even if they’re single.

“You’re an awesome girl, Julie Taylor.” Key word ‘GIRL.’ Now he’s saying he feels “comfortable with her” and “if it were a different time and a different place.” This is what grooming sounds like.

Ewwwwwww

Oh noooo Julie you’ve been in college for like five minutes and you’ve already fucked a married TA. Oh honey NO.

Poor Vince. So much trauma between his mom and his dad.

Wowwww the transition from Vince fighting with his parents to walking in suit and tie past all the fans with signs 😭

Yes Eric reiterating he’s proud of Vince and so are his teammates after he goes off — I love how he can like tell something is off with him. He shuts the door and gets Vince to explain the home situation in like five mins.

“He never taught me how to better! How am I supposed to be better?” Omg yessss I feel you babe 😭

Oh god is Vince’s dad showing up gonna cost them this game

NOPE he just did an INSANE touchdown instead!!! Go Vince! “They call that the Tinker shuffle. They get a flag for excessive celebrating and who can blame them?”

“That was a hell of an effort. That’s character, Vince.” Awwww Eric’s so proud of him. His dad is sad. Welp, no thanks to you.

Omg their 3 and 0 East Side cheer at the bar sounds so much like the cheers our predominantly Black football team would do at our pep rallies I love it. This team has so much more heart and soul than the Panthers.

Omg Buddy Jr. is coming back to town???? Intrigue.

TA apologized and and acknowledged he knew it was wrong for teacher-student reasons! Yikes! Bc you know it’s gonna happen again!

“Only 17 years old and you’re already better than I ever was.” Damn Vince’s dad apologizing for not asking to move in after seeing him shine at the game, #growth

“Tonight for the first time in my life I knew what pride felt like. I mean, boy, that was crazy out there. You the man for real.” OMGGGG VINCE IS CRYING wow 🥺

[ofhoneyandrosepetals]

Aarhus Universitet - Ansuz Raido Ravens (5)

Pairing: Modern!Ivar x reader

Description: Y/N is a freshman in Aarhus University and, being the roommate of both Torvi and Margrethe, that gives her some privileges and intel on the university, as it on the leading fraternity as well, Ansuz Raido Ravens, the Ragnarssons’ fraternity. Eventually, she gets engaged up with Ivar, who happened to gather a suspicious reputation among girls.

Warnings: swearings, violence and triggering content.

Word count: 5.332

A/N: due to Tumblr’s links problems (that sincerely I don’t know if it’s fixed already), you can catch up with the fic in my masterlist, which is in my bio!

You were getting ready for Hvitserk’s birthday party, combing your hair when Margrethe entered the room. Even if you haven’t looked at her, you could tell that something was wrong with her - you could feel it.

“All cool?” You asked her casually, getting back to your hair. There wasn’t much you could do anymore but leave it that way. Your hair wasn’t a thing that you cared about that much, especially for a party; you only wanted it to look clean and nice.

It was looking clean and nice.

“No, it’s not all cool,” you sensed some mocking in Margrethe’s tone. You turned at her.

“What…” you try to start a question, but the hushed you.

“You are…” you felt a tremble of panic on her voice. “You are pregnant of his child,” she whispered the pregnant word and you froze. How could Margrethe know? “How could you?”

You made a quick mental list of who knew about that whole drama: you, Ivar, possibly all his brothers, Torvi…

“Torvi told you, didn’t she?” You ask harsh, jaws clenched.

“Damn straight, she did! What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thinking, okay?” You snap at her, feeling a storm inside of you. What was Torvi’s purpose on telling Margrethe this? “I wasn’t. I just slipped, and so did Ivar, but I’m not pregnant, Margrethe. I’m not,” you watched as her eyes changed.

“Even so…” she was whispering. “How could you do that to me? I tried to warn you��”

“I know, babe, and I’m so sorry,” you get up and try to reach for her, but she pushed you away.

“Don’t call me like that, and don’t come any closer,” you did as she asked. She was biting her lips. “She’s trying to mess with my head,” Margrethe cried out as she sat on her bed.

“Who?” You sat on your ankles and touched her knees.

“Don’t touch me!” She shoved your hand out of her knee. “Who do you think? Torvi, of course!” She covered her face with her hands. “How could you do that to me, knowing what happened?”

“I never had the intention to hurt you, Margrethe, I mean it…” she shook her head. “And… I don’t mean to sound like a bitch, but it’s my life…”

“I was trying to help you!” She uncovered her face. “When you first came in, I liked you! I thought that maybe I could have a friend in this hell place…” she sighed.

“And you have.”

“No, I’m all alone. Ivar terrified me; he still does. Stay away from him, Y/N, he’s bad news.”

“I think it’s a bit too late for that,” you said gently, smiling without happiness.

“I…” Margrethe tried to start. “I want you to keep distance from me. Please. This whole shit isn’t healthy for me, it’s toxic, and I want distant from all of this.”

You got her point, she was right. This whole situation was toxic, especially for her. You were toxic. And Ivar too. And Torvi. And all that environment. You don’t dare to tell her that you talked with Ivar about their situation, otherwise she would have accused you of protecting him, of being on his side.

And maybe she would be right.

You nod at her wish and your phone starts ringing; it’s Ivar. You get up, taking a deep breath.

“I hope everything goes good for you, Margrethe. I really do. But I’m the type of person…” she raised a hand.

“I don’t really wanna hear it. You should go to your party, I’ll be okay.”

You nodded and left the room.

*

You and Ivar were walking to his place while you told him what just happened. You saw he wasn’t feeling touched for Margrethe’s situation.

“They always disliked each other, but we never knew why,” he said in a logical tone. “Maybe they don’t work together to share the same room and that started it, or maybe it’s Ubbe, I can’t tell,” he shrugged. “But that doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does! Torvi made Margrethe turn against me, and she got a reason for that. And I wanna know why,” you said determined.

“You like her, don’t you? Why?” You shrugged.

“I don’t know, I just do. I kinda… feel a little pity about her.”

“So you want to protect her.”

“Maybe it’s that. She looks so vulnerable in this place, like a gazelle among lions.”

“Did you just called me a lion?” Ivar looked at you, hungry eyes and a cocky smirk.

“Oh, I did,” you pecked his lips. You could already see Ivar’s place and hear the loud music.

“I think I gotta something to tell ya.”

“What do you mean with ‘I think’?”

“I know you had drinking problems and I don’t know your position on drugs, but…” Ivar scratched the back of his head, as he thought on how to deliver you the news.

“But?” You pressured.

“You see, Hvitserk’s birthday party is a little bit different than the freshmen’s���”

“How different?” Ivar bit his lower lip and frowned his nose.

“The freshmen’s party is kinda related to college - the council - directly, so we gotta keep the drugs low profile for people to buy it. But when it’s Hvitserk’s birthday party, he bears all the drug costs, so what I’m trying to tell is for you not to freak when you see waiters around serving blow, weed, all kinda meth shit.”

You froze when Ivar told you that. You could handle the alcohol, but drugs were another section of your mind and body.

“You brought me to a fucking triggering party,” you whispered not looking at him, but around.

“I’m sorry Y/N, I forgot to tell you earlier…”

“But I agreed to come, didn’t I?” You said abruptly.

“What you mean?”

“It would be… all on me, not on you. I can make my own decisions, I can handle the consequences.”

“I don’t want you to get all fucked up.”

“I’ll be alright. Let’s go,” you got his hand and started walking.

You didn’t want Ivar to feel guilty or whatever shit; that was his life. He was a drug dealer, he had a drug empire at college, and you couldn’t change that. Of course you had a choice, but you chose to be with him, meaning that you would be around shit like that, and it depended on you, not Ivar, if you wanted to get drowned by it. You made a choice and, among and between that choice, you had a lot more to take.

As you got closer to the house you could see the colourful smoke all around the place, dense, the heavy music pouding fitting the view. Ivar opened the door without knocking on  it. When he opened it you saw that a girl was hired to open the door, and she was about to do her work, worried that Ivar hadn’t knock, dismissing her work.

“Don’t worry, I’m hosting it, you don’t have to open it for me,” she nodded, focused on her job, closing the door.

“Why can’t you sit?” You heard someone screaming over the music, trying to be heard. It was Hvitserk, completely wasted - already.

“Dude, what you’re doing?” Ivar asked him.

“Trying to tell her that she can sit! She’s like that for hours - don’t you ever get tired?” He directed the last part of his sentence to the girl. She ignored him like a robot. “C’mon, sit, why don’t you sit?”

“Bro, are you alright? What have you used?”

Hvitserk ignored Ivar and went to get a chair, coming back with it on his hands. He placed it beside the girl and was pushing her down by her shoulders, trying to make her sit.

“C’mon man, leave her alone, let her do her job, she was hired for that.”

“Yeah, I know, but she can sit, right?”

“She was trained for that, you dumbass, she won’t sit.”

Hvitserk pointed a finger to Ivar, then that same finger pointed to the girl. “You can sit whenever you want, honey. That chair won’t go anywhere,” she ignored him.

“Hey,” you started at Hvit. “Happy birthday, man,” his eyes wide opened as he realized it was his birthday.

“Oh, right, yeah! Thanks, cool chick!” He hugged you tight. “What can I get ya? We have Jell-O shots - with father’s special -, we have father’s special, vodka, beer, whiskey, liquor, all kinda drinks, we have dope…”

“I’ll just… walk around…” you dismissed drunk Hvitserk and pressed Ivar hand once to tell him that you were cool. You two split and you started to wander. You could hear Hvit saying to Ivar: “Man, that new crank I got? I’m way too high up the sky, that shit’s good! I’m fucking hallucinating, people are gonna love it!”

You hoped with all your strength that all the booze was drug free, because whatever Hvitserk had taken, you didn’t want it. His eyes were red, injected, his pupils dilated. You could say it was terrifying.

You found the Jell-O shots and took one, the familiar taste of Ragnar’s special drink. You took one more before asking the bartender for a Cosmo and started wandering around again.

People danced around you by the heavy music, people played beer pong, people played strip poker, people were betting and people were doing lines and more lines of coke. Sometimes you would see waiters serving ecstasy and LSD.

You took a deep breath.

I can control myself, I can stay out of this, you tried to calm yourself down. You weren’t really into crank - anymore, you hoped -, but it wasn’t that easy to control yourself when you were surrounded by it.

As the lights went on and off and the smoke got lighter in some spots, you could see Torvi in the middle of a hundred bodies, dancing closely to Ubbe. She dropping it down close to him, almost giving him a blowjob, then going up again, rubbing her body, her tits, on him. His hands were all over her body, her ass and boobs. You watched them a bit while you sipped your drink.

Torvi’s reasons on turning Margrethe against you, that’s what you were thinking about as you watched Torvi and Ubbe in the crowd.

The house was dark except for the heavy dark lights, red and blue, flashing.

“Hey,” you hear someone saying behind you. You turn to see a waiter serving joints. You looked at the skin and the weed inside of it. You pressed your lips against each other.

A flood of Manhattan memories came over your mind, and you wondered if the weed would make some effect - in the beginning it was like hell, but as time passed, you didn’t felt much things anymore, and you needed more if you wanted to get higher. You took a joint without thinking about the consequences and quickly forgetting how you got when you started to smoke it.

It’s been years, actually, since you stopped it, but you truly believed you wouldn’t be that bad.

“Do you have a lighter?” You screamed over the waiter. He handed you a black Zippo.

“Take it,” he screamed back. You smiled at him thankfully and lit it. You puffed. The taste felt familiar, yet a bit different. You puffed deeply as you saw the white dense smoke.

One joint wouldn’t hurt, right?

A little bit more of alcohol wouldn’t hurt, right?

A single line wouldn’t hurt, right?

You were used to it, it wouldn’t hurt, of course it wouldn’t. It was your choice. What could go wrong? You were used to all of it. Your body was used to it.

The dark flashing lights and the colourful dense smoke weren’t doing any good to your burning neurons. People’s shapes were changing. More people kept appearing. Sometimes disappearing. What you saw it wasn’t exactly what you saw and at some point a plant got too much of your attention. You felt heavy, ethereal.

You asked a waiter for water, and after you drank it you felt a bit better. “Do you have any candy?” You asked him. You weren’t yourself anymore, at least not your current self; you were the self from Manhattan.

You were the girl who got way too wasted and killed a guy.

The waiter showed up with your candy, a pink little heart. You smiled at him and put it in your pocket, texting Ivar. I need you, now, you texted.

Ivar took some time to find you, but he did it.

“You okay?” He asked worried.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, moving your body at the music’s rhythm.

“I’m fine,” you said smiling. “And I want you.”

“Okay,” he said carefully, a hand on your waist as the other was caressing your cheek. “What did you take?”

“What?” His voice was fading.

“What did you take?!” You laughed.

“I smoked, Ivar. I smoked and now everything is twisted.”

“Okay. What else?” Ivar could tell when people took more than one shit, of course; it was all his job.

“Blow.”

“You shitting me, right?” You shook your head.

“I don’t feel like that for years, Ivar. I feel awesome.”

“Awesome will be if you don’t od.”

“I never oded, Ivar, and I took way more than that back at US. Now join me,” you took the candy out of your pocket, showing it to Ivar.

Anyone could tell that he was trying to fight the urge to take it, but being surrounded by all of that was turning it a difficult task.

“We could split it! We won’t even feel it!” You said.

“So what’s the point if we won’t get high?” Ivar asked.

“C’mon…!” You put the candy between your teeth and bit it. Ivar took the other half, carefully, as he deeply kissed you.

The music got louder and your arms got tighter around him. You put one leg around his thigh and Ivar got you by your ass and pulled you up, so you could place your legs around his waist.

Holding you by your ass, the kiss grows deeper as your body moves against Ivar’s by the music. You feel him groan as he squeeze your ass and you tighten your legs around him.

“I’m gonna need you to come a little down so you can make that little dance over my cock, yeah?” He mumbles against your lips and you nod, your legs going to his waist from his hips. People were dancing around you as you were making out. Ivar was moving, trying to find somewhere where he could place your back against.

Your hands were wandering under his shirt, feelings the strong muscles of his back and chest, his smooth and hot skin against your fingers.

You felt Ivar’s phone vibrating on his pocket, but both of you ignored it, but whoever was calling, they were insisting.

“I should probably get it,” he said out of breath on your neck and you sighed, rolling your eyes. Ivar pressed you more against the wall so you wouldn’t need to come down.

You couldn’t hear what he was saying, but all that make out session definitely got you a little sober - it fucking won the drugs.

Ivar looks at you with eyes that you have never met, saying: “I gotta go.”

*

You insisted to go with Ivar; he resisted a bit but his boner let you go with him.

Now all the Ragnarssons were reunited at the pantry - a space way too little for all four big guys and you. Torvi wasn’t with Ubbe.

“Magnus plans a hit on us tonight,” Sigurd started.

“How do you know?” Ubbe asked.

“Connections, you moron,” Sigurd says impatiently.

“Why tonight?” Hvitserk asks drinking of his water, a quick way of getting sober. It wasn’t working that much, but at least he wasn’t acting like an animal.

“Because they would get us off guard. You got any more intel?” Ivar asks Sigurd.

“It’s not a big group, six guys maybe.”

“I think they will try to blend with the crowd so we won’t notice them,” Ubbe says.

“Six guys is a low number for a hit,” Hvit comments.

“Not if they don’t want to harm anyone who’s not involved. It’s a low profile hit. One guy for each of us, and two more backups. They’re counting on Hvitserk being completely wasted, so one guy could handle him. Sigurd’s not as big as us, so one big guy could do it. The backups would be for me and Ubbe.”

“The Big Ubbe,” Ubbe said cocky.

“And Violent Ivar,” he said with deadly eyes.

“What shit is that, some kind of street name?” You ask.

“We hacked their system some time ago and we found their archives on us,” Sigurd explained. “We discovered that the “Violent Subject” is Ivar; Big is Ubbe; Junkie is Hvitserk and I’m the Little.”

“Subjects?” You mocked.

“They’re from the technology college, they like to show off,” Hvitserk said.

“And what do they want?” You asked.

“Our drug empire,” Ivar said, pulling out his Glock 42 and checking for ammo. “They’re gonna need more than two men to stop me.”

You tremble at the sight of his gun.

“Do you… I never saw that you carry a gun with you,” you said carefully.

“Yeah, I pack all the time, I need to; but not with you around. I didn’t want you to be anywhere near guns, but…”

“But I’m with you and that means I’ll be around them.”

“Unfortunately. I was expecting something like that for tonight, they’ve be holding themselves down for quite some time. I’m sorry if you don’t like it…”

“No, I’m cool,” you wave a hand at him.

“I want you to be here, close to Ubbe,” Ivar asked as he put his gun on his back again. “Ubbe’s gonna stay here to make sure nothing happens. I’ll take Sigurd with me.”

“What about me?” Hvitserk asked.

“Man, are you serious?” Sigurd said to his brother.

“Yeah, of course.”

“You hold your shit together,” Ivar pointed a finger to Hvitserk. “Go check if that girl sat,” Hvitserk’s eyes shined and he got out of the pantry.

“What was that?” Ubbe asked.

“Nothing important, just Hvit being Hvit. C’mon, Sigurd,” and so Ivar and Sigurd left the pantry, but not before Ivar kissed you and whispered that he would be back soon.

You and Ubbe were left alone, meaning that you would be around Torvi, and that wouldn’t end well.

“Do I have to be by your side all the time, like…?” Ubbe started to laugh and shook his head.

“Nah, go have some fun, I got it. I was prepared for something too, that girl at the door isn’t a simple girl. She’ll hold any shit until I get there.”

You nod as you went back to dance with all that strange people.

Some good minutes had passed and, at some corner, you saw women writhing around a pole.

If at least Ivar was here…, you thought to yourself.

Then, keeping a watchful eye at the poles, you see someone familiar. Of course that woman was Torvi, upside down and legs all up.

You couldn’t tell if it was the curious and angry side of your brain talking or if it was all that drug, but suddenly you felt an urge to discover why she made Margrethe turn against you. You cared for that chick and she didn’t deserve all that shit.

You get to the pole near to Torvi and ask the girl there if you could try it out. She smiled and nodded. You passed by at pole dance - perks of a past life in Manhattan - and screamed over to Torvi.

“Hey!” She looked surprised at you.

“Y/N? Hey, girl, what’s up? I didn’t know you were coming! And I definitely didn’t know you knew how to pole dance; that’s so cool!” She was way too drunk, you could easily tell.

“Wanna grab some drinks?”

“Yeah, why not?”

You two headed to the bar, Torvi babbling all the way. While she ordered for her drink, you start: “You know, when I decided to come to Aarhus, I had no idea I would be dealing with nosy people. Especially bitchy nosy people,” Torvi looks at you with the corner of her eye.

“Is that supposed to be directed to me?”

“That’s exactly directed to you, sweetie,” you get closer to her when she turn around with her drink, her back touching the bar. Torvi can feel the tension coming from you. “I’m just missing one point in all that pregnancy story.”

“What pregnancy story?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” you slap her, her face turning to the right. Some people around looked at you two, but nobody really cared. The bartender ignored you two. “You know what I’m talking about, you’re the reason why Ivar knew and you’re the reason that Margrethe asked me to keep distance from her,” Torvi started laughing.

“So all of this is about Margrethe? Really? Why do you care for that dumb bitch anyway?” You get Torvi’s drink from her hand and throw it through the bar, the glass hitting the wall behind her, then you pushed her against the bar, hitting her.

“You had no right to tell your boyfriend that you saw the positive test in the trash that day,” you said pulling her by the collar of her glittering shirt. “And you had no right to tell Margrethe about it too. It was my shit to handle, not yours,” your nose was almost touching hers. She didn’t say a word. “What’s that shit between you two, huh?”

“Not of your business,” she tried to shove you off but you grabbed her by her hair.

“It is of my business in the moment it affected me. This quarrel of yours affected me, Margrethe was my friend and now she’s gone.”

“It’s not of your business, you crazy bitch!” She cried out trying to get your hand out of her hair. You slapped her again and grabbed her chin so she could look at you.

“Why did you tell her?” You said slowly in a low voice. Torvi’s eyes were terrified; you were scaring her. She said nothing. “Why did you tell her?” You screamed. She closed her eyes as she talked.

“I want her to go! Okay? I want her to leave my room, but she wouldn’t go because of you! I saw, I knew how close you two were getting and, if you two became friends, she would never leave!”

“Why?” You said in shook.

“Isn’t it obvious? She hates me because I took her place! She hates me because I got to be Ubbe’s exclusive, she wants to take my place! That’s so obvious! She goes around campus and badmouth them, waiting for me and for other girls to get away from them so she could have all of them just to herself!”

“You’re crazy,” you whisper. “Margrethe doesn’t want anything to do with these guys, she hates them…”

“And of course you believe in her story.”

“I’m not pregnant, okay? You started this whole shit over a lie, a misunderstood. You’re a self-centered bitch, Torvi, do you realize that? Margrethe needs to go not because you hate her, but because of what you’ve done to her. She’s miserable now, and she needs to leave to get a new fresh start. For herself. She needs to leave for herself, and not for you. You just… you get your shit together and stay away from me,” you give her you back and starts walking away when she says out loud: “Get my shit together? I’m the one who got attacked! You know what? You and Ivar deserve each other, you’re perfect, you’re two murderous…”

That word messed with your nerves. She was offending not only you, but Ivar. You turned, looking at her eyes. “What did you say?” You started getting closer.

“Nothing,” her voice trembled.

“Nothing? So now you don’t get the guts to tell that to my face? You’re such a coward… I want you to repeat it.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No, you crazy bitch…” and that was enough. You don’t know how you did it, but you lifted Torvi to the bar, making all the bottles and glasses to drop on the floor. You get on top of her, holding her with your knees as you searched for something in your pocket. “You’re gonna fucking regret it.”

You pulled out what left of your joint. Torvi was lifting her head but you drop it down back on the bar with strength. Holding her head, you say: ���You’re gonna eat my fucking joint, you cunt!”

You forced the joint down her throat, making her gasp. She was grabbing your arms, but you’re stronger. You punched and slapped her, and if someone asked why you were doing this, you weren’t sure if the whole gossip and Margrethe situation was a good  excuse for such behavior.

But no one stopped you.

And so you kept hitting her.

*

Ivar was back with Sigurd, complaining about the situation.

“What the fuck was that? Was that supposed to be a hit? Magnus wasn’t even there and they ran like headless chickens,” Sigurd laughed.

“Yeah dude, maybe they had other intentions. If it was a hit, or a big one, I think that would be a big shit.”

“Maybe it was a distraction,” Ivar stopped.

“No, it wasn’t a distraction. If it was, it would went down pretty different. You could tell by their eyes, they were outnumbered in forces.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. Let’s get inside by the back, okay?”

Ivar passed through the pool, hoping to see you there. People were playing some basketball under the water, girls on boys’ shoulders. Hvitserk lowered his guard and was now in the middle of the Chicken Wings Challenge: 20 hot chicken wings in 120 seconds.

“Up for a swing?” Sigurd asked him. Ivar looked baffled.

“A swing? Really?” Sigurd nodded. “Sig, my bro, trust me when I say this,” Ivar’s arm was resting on Sigurd’s shoulder. “You don’t want my girl. You wouldn’t keep up with her,” Sigurd shoved Ivar’s arm off.

“Fuck you, Boneless,” he said laughing. “I’ll just ask Ubbe, then,” and Sigurd left, screaming over his shoulder: “You have blood on your eyebrow, by the way!”

Ivar tried to clean the blood when he felt a little more concentrate crowd, and not a dancing one. He sensed trouble.

He followed the screams and the view got him surprised.

Y/N on top of Torvi, at the bar, fighting.

“I go out for one hour and that happens?” He says to himself. Ubbe shows up, losing his shit.

“You better control your pussy,” Ivar gave Ubbe a petty look.

“I don’t think I have one, brother,” he said tapping his cock.

“You know what I meant, now go break those two apart.”

“Why? I don’t want to; let them fight. Everyone knows that girls fighting are a bad thing by people’s eyes, we should let them have some fun.”

“Y/N will kill Torvi!” Ivar’s features turned harsh and his tone got deadly.

“In that case, we should let them continue.”

“What? Ivar, are you crazy?” Ivar kept his eyes on his girl and Torvi. “I tried to take Y/N out of there, I can’t!”

“And if you, Big Subject, can’t do anything, what can the little Boneless do?” Ubbe sighed.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

“Oh, I’m unbelievable?” Ivar turned to Ubbe, furious. “I just risked my ass out there to stop a possible hit while you got to be here and have all the fun. Maybe next time I’ll let us be all fucked up by Magnus, what you think of that?”

“I think you’re overreacting.”

“Overreacting?”

“Little Ivar overreacting, as he always did.”

“You say that again,” Ivar pushed Ubbe by his chest.

“Little Ivar overreacting, as he always did,” Ubbe repeated. Ivar nodded with pressed lips and punched Ubbe’s head, wrapping his arms around his neck and making him turn down, punching his stomach.

People around them started to cheer and that got your attention. You looked over the noise, briefly forgetting about Torvi, to see Ivar and Ubbe all tangled together, fighting too.

Getting advantage on this, Torvi pushes you and you two fall on the floor. You reminded of Torvi and hit her head against the floor, making her body stops and her eyes shut. Your eyes are wide open and you don’t feel any more response coming from her. “Torvi?” You try. Nothing. You shake her shoulder. Nothing too. You try to hear her heartbeat: it was there.

“Oh god,” you mumble and get distant from Torvi. You made her pass out. “What did I do?” You started crying, not being able to breath.

You get up, hands up your chest. All you wanna do now is leave. Getting to the entrance hall, you see the door girl and the chair at her side. “Are you going to use that chair? No, right?” You ask her and sit. “I feel that I can’t breath,” the door girl looks at you.

“What are you feeling?” She asks professionally.

“I feel like I’m fucking panicking and I can’t breath,” you said desperately.

She started to make breathing exercises with you which, after some time, helped you to get better. You saw Sigurd running through the house and after a couple of minutes the cheering noise stopped.

“What happened?” You asked the girl.

“I don’t know. Are you okay? Are you feeling better now?” You nod. “Okay, good. Just rest, I’ll come back in a minute.”

She came back with a glass of a water. You thanked her and sipped the liquid, slowly.

And then Ivar came in, a bloody mess.

His hair was loose and messed, his knuckles were bruised and he got blood on his eyebrow, nose and lips, all cracked open. You got up in a jump and went for him to hug him. “Ivar!” You sighed against his chest.

“Come, let’s go to my room.”

You gave the door girl a thankful look and she smiled at you.

*

Ivar was sleeping by your side, quite peacefully, his chest going up and down in smooth moves. Once you two were in his room, he helped you clean yourself and you helped him. He told about Magnus hit - or the lack of it - and you him about your fight. “Don’t take it too seriously, you were high, it was the meth talking.” You wanted to believe in his words, god knows you wanted to.

But that was just you.

A fuck up.

He told you about his fight with Ubbe. “Just a normal shit, that happens a lot.”

Once you two were clean from all the sweat, dirt and blood, Ivar took the big spoon spot and held you close to him, you letting his body heat take care of you.

“I’m so sorry for that, I’m a fuck up,” you whispered kissing his knuckles.

“I’m a fuck up too.”

You two were silent for minutes and more minutes before you asked him: “What will happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“With Ubbe and Torvi.”

“With Ubbe it doesn’t matter, we always fight, it’s not a big deal. But Torvi? Damn, you showed her a point, she’ll definitely be out of your way. Maybe she will even move out.”

“Will she… press charges?”

“What? No, she’s not crazy; we can’t have police involved, mainly in an event like tonight. The INCB and SKAT would have a fucking party, really. Don’t worry, you’re safe. Though she’ll probably move out, but it’s fine, really. Don’t worry about that, you need to rest.”

You wanted to ask Ivar one more thing, but he fell asleep. And you couldn’t do the same.

Taglist:  @mblaqgi @akamaiden @dangerousvikings @oddsnendsfanfics @deepdarkred @irishhiggins @tinypuppysoul @kingbouji3 @i-war-s-boner @capitanostella @loothbrok @noaor @thehuntress26 @sassymcgonagal1651 @hoodirwin5 @attorneyl @collecting-stories @certainobservationwasteland @dreams-in-different-colours @3x5gurl @readsalot73 @thisisparadisemylove @action-adventure-and-cheesecake @titty-teetee @cutiedaij @austenkingmylady @ivarthesweetheart @golden-pickaxe @lokis-sunflower-anna @bill-istvan @cynthianokamaria @hallowed-heathen @fuckthatfeeling @huffelpuffers

[thesportssoundoff]

“So how early is too early, how soon is too soon and why am I up at 4:30 AM watching China’s best fight in the UFC?” A preview of the UFC Fight Night live from Shanghai

Joey

November 19th

WHEW Boy! First and foremost, for those of y'all in the states I hope you have a kick ass Thanksgiving. Eat plenty, drink plenty if that's your thing, shop plenty on a Friday and then for those of you who are MMAddicted, you got yourself a show on Saturday morning! The UFC has tried and tried and tried and FINALLY they broke through into Shanghai! The Chinese market has been opened up and the dam has busted. Fight fans who are so interested in MMA will be greeted to QUITE the show on Thursday morning. This was set up to be Anderson Silva vs Kelvin Gastelum but drug tests ruin the best of things. To their credit, the UFC found Michael Bisping for the role and now things are humming towards a Chinese showdown. The rest of the main card pits the best of China vs two solid mid level UFC talents plus the debut of one of MMA's more exciting talents. The prelims have one FANTASTIC fight and the debut of 8 different fighters; 1 from Brazil, 1 from India and 6 from China.  Plenty of reason to get excited am I right? Guys? Guuuuuuys?

Fights: 12 (11 if they can't find a dude for Cyril Asker)

Debuts: 10 (Sheymon Moraes, Bharat Khandare, Yanan Wu, Wuliji Buren, Yan Xiaonan, Wang Guan, Muslim Salikov, Kenan Song, Yadong Song, Yan Xiaonan )

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations:  3 (Anderson Silva OUT, Michael BIsping IN vs Kelvin Gastelum/Liu Pingyuan OUT, Yadong Song IN vs Bharat Kandare, James Mulheron OUT, TBD vs Cyril Asker)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC):  3 (Michael Bisping, Alex Caceres, Kelvin Gastelum)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC:  4 (Rolando Dy, Cyril Asker, Bobby Nash, Kailin Curran)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC:  2 (Chase Sherman, Li Jingliang)

Stat Monitor for 2017:

Debuting Fighters (Current number: 38-30)- Sheymon Moraes, Bharat Khandare, Yanan Wu, Wuliji Buren, Yan Xiaonan, Wang Guan, Muslim Salikov, Kenan Song, Yadong Song, Yan Xiaonan

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 22-33-1)- Michael Bisping, Yadong Song

Second Fight (Current number: 25-37)- Gina Mizani, Zabit Magomedsharipov

Cage Corrosion (18-13-1)- 0

Twelve Precious Ponderings

1- I suppose we can begin with trying to piece together this Scooby Doo-esque mystery on Michael Bisping taking the fight. Anderson Silva falls out via drug test gone bad (or good depending on your view of it) and Kelvin Gastelum needs a fight for the main event. Given how vital this show is to THAT market, this is a big deal. Limited options + short notice + Visa + tough as shit opponent = trouble. Under any other circumstance this capsizes a show. The UFC's chasing an opponent for Brunson and Bisping isn't available because he's injured---right? Well according to Bisping, he reached out to the UFC and told them he was fine and ready to fight on short notice vs Gastelum. A week after fighting GSP for the title. Now there are many serious questions we all need to parse through. 1) Should Bisping be fighting? 2) What about his medical suspension? 3) What does he have to gain from this? 4) Is this too soon? Whatever the case may or may not be, you gotta at least give the parties involved some credit for somehow pulling this shit off. For my money, Bisping vs Gastelum is a far greater fight than Anderson/Gastelum.

2- On a scale of 1- Of Course, what are the odds Gastelum somehow finds a way to miss weight?

3- A lot of credit needs to go to Bisping for taking this fight. He probably made more money  than he ever has vs GSP and when most dudes would be fat and happy and ready to just take time off, he's back in there less than a month later. Not everybody loves Michael Bisping but the # of Bisping types is declining rapidly so enjoy the one we have while we got 'em.

4- At this point all I ask of Gastelum is that he doesn't beat Bisping up so badly that Michael can't retire in March in London.

5- Perhaps not enough credit is to be given to Kelvin Gastelum for basically saving his career. Gastelum completely lost track of his career at 170 lbs after missing weight and then the UFC basically told him to move up or move out. Since moving up to 185 lbs, he's 2-1 (1-1-1 in actuality but I dont think he needed WEED to beat up Vitor Belfort)  with wins over Belfort and Tim Kennedy. His sole loss was to Chris Weidman in a fight where he gave Weidman problems, dropping him before losing due to the size difference. Gastelum is in that Jake Shields category of really needing that 175 lb weight class where he can prosper. His hands have come a long, long way since TUF and he's still a killer wrestler. His grappling in my estimation has been his weak spot as he tends to get too lax on the ground (his inability to handle Magny's grappling probably cost him the fight and Weidman outworked him and submitted him). Very excited to see how he handles Bisping because Gastelum's youth, team and skill set gives him a chance to be a real find in the coming years.

6- "The Leech" Li Jingliang has had a very odd track in the UFC. He hasn't really improved but he's so strong and stubborn as a fighter that it works for him. The Leech  is never in a boring fight outside of one time where Nadine Taleb turned him into a fifteen minute grappler type. The leech just looks like a miserable sort of dude to fight; a hard headed hard hitting stubborn as shit dude who can wrestle you and ground and pound plus he's one of those guys who gets better as the fight goes on. Zack Ottow is a weird fight for him; a dude who could be undefeated in the UFC or 0-3 in the UFC depending on how you look at it. Ottow is the epitome of the "mid level veteran" who will test you but probably not beat you.

7- Wang Guan's UFC debut is surely going to be "a happening" as one would put it. Guan feels like a fighter who has been tied indirectly to the UFC for quite some time and now hes here and he draws a tough first out in Alex Caceres. Caceres speaks to how highly the UFC thinks of Guan or how lowly they think of Caceres because he's the weird mix of unorthodox, flashy and blessed with endless cardio. They might regret this booking.

8- A lot of folks are excited about the debut of Muslim Salikhov and again this is another one of those deals where youre either REALLY confident in a guy or really, really low on the person he's facing. Alex Garcia is a big rocked up 170er who has proven to be pretty durable in his fights. Not an easy fight for a dude in his debut.

9- I'm SURE they'll be a lot of people who will whine about the fact that just about everybody on the undercard is debuting.. To that, I'll offer a few simplistic retorts. 1) The prelims will start at 3 FUCKING 45 AM on a Saturday. There has NEEEEEEVER been an undercard you could avoid as easily as this one. Just SLEEP through it. 2) Consider this like an Asian TUF where the TUF guys are fighting for their jobs. Most of this undercard is debuting Asian talent trying to find a home in the UFC---chances are half of these fighters if not more will be gone before 2018 ends. Treat them as one offs. 3)   There's actually some really solid matchmaking here on the prelims. 4) Consider this,

10- Bobby Nash is a tough guy to get a handle on. He had Li Jingliang all kinds of hurt and gave Danny "Hot Chocolate" Roberts all kinds of problems as well. The problem is that if you have little head movement and a shaky chin, more often than not somebody will find it. Nash has two fights and has that "he was winning until he lost" thing going on. He takes on Kenan Song on the prelims.

11- I have not had the chance to talk up how fucking great this Sheymon Moraes-Zhabit Magomedsharipov fight but hot DAMN is it a good 'un. This should be fifteen minutes of pure standup and if it hits the ground then both guys are more than capable there as well. Magomedsharipov has big time star potential in my estimation.

12- Bharat Kandare is the UFC's first Indian born fighter (Arjen Bhullar is a Canadian of Indian heritage) but apparently this could've been a done deal a lot sooner. Per Bharat, the UFC wanted to sign him back in 2014 but SFL blocked it. Either way, I'm just glad we're getting more fighters of different nationalities in the Octagon. It's good for all of the sport!

Must Wins

1- Kelvin Gastelum

Michael Bisping's legacy is secure. Everything Bisping related is locked and set in stone. He will retire with the UFC's best strength of competition in my eyes. We're talking Silva, Belfort, GSP, Hendo twice, Luke Rockhold twice, Thales Leites, Rashad Evans, "Mayhem" Miller, Wanderlei, Chael Soonen and Cung Le all inside the Octagon. He won the title, defended it and then made a PPV payout in his loss to GSP. The guy is secure and approaching one final retirement fight. Kelvin Gastelum is going from a going ticket to an even more golden ticket in Bisping and right now Kelvin Gastelum is in his prime and only getting better. A win over Bisping and he'll have the Bisping win that has eluded other MWs. Remember that the folks who beat Bisping eventually go on to fight for the title so he is very much the golden door for the MW division.

2- Wang Guan

IF Li Jingliang is going to be THE guy in China, he would've been it by now. Wang Guan is being tasked with that role. He's been given a main card spot on the first ever show in China against a reputable opponent in Alex Caceres. At 31, Guan is not blessed with youth on his side so the sooner he can try to make a run, the better of he'll be.

3- Chase Sherman

Chase Sherman's UFC run thus far is a very complicated one. His losses are to reputable competition in Justin Ledet and Walt "The Big Ticket" Harris while his wins are to guys who are no longer in the UFC (Coultier is probably on his way out and Grabowski was sent packing). Sherman has some tools like above average athleticism and great conditioning that should make him a HW of note over time. He's also under 30 so he's rocking the trifecta.

Five Fights You Can't Miss

1-  Michael Bisping vs Kelvin Gastelum

2- Zhabit Magomedsharipov vs Sheymon Moraes

3- Li Jingliang vs Zack Ottow

4- Alex Caceres vs Wang Guan

5- Bharat Khandare vs Yadong Song

[blockheadbrands]

Back To Black: Why Consumers Are Staying Loyal To The Illicit Cannabis Market

Paul James of High Times Reports:

Cannabis is legal in California…so why is the illicit market still going strong?

As people still go to jail for cannabis-related crimes, it’s a privilege to be able to carry a half-ounce bag of herb and not be doing anything illegal. But does this new freedom come with consequences? Most of California’s Proposition 215 supporters seem to believe so, particularly when it comes to high taxesinflating retail prices.

It’s pushing people back to the illicit market—the underground commerce our government said would dissipate upon legalization—to procure their meds.  Although it seems agreeable for potheads on a budget, illicit cannabis is a splitting headache for the state.

Jake Heraty, a student at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, had a liver transplant at only six-months-old and survived hepatoblastoma, a rare cancerous tumor that develops in the liver. Heraty uses cannabis to alleviate chronic pain resulting from his surgery. It’s extremely difficult for college students (or anyone not making $150,000 a year)  to survive in San Francisco, and Heraty can barely afford the medicinal marijuana he needs.

“I don’t like purchasing from the streets,” Heraty tells High Times. “I’d prefer to go to a store and pick out just what I want. You know? But when you have to pay an extra 15 percent in taxes, there’s really no questions. I just can’t afford to throw down 20 extra dollars so the state can get their share of the cannabis market. That extra tax is my dinner.”

Still, the state of California is making efforts to rid the streets of these affordable cannabis outlets. Last May, Governor Jerry Brown proposed to put $14 million into investigations towards illegal cannabis market activity. Brown’s proposal has been put into effect and a number of illicit market groups—from distributors to cultivators—have been raided. A job like this with only $14 million is simply absurd. Destroying the illicit cannabis market in California is a multi-billion dollar job.

It’s going to take just as many years to destroy the illicit market as it will to create a well-oiled legal cannabis system.

Inside the Illicit Market

It isn’t just expensive for consumers to buy legal cannabis—it’s also expensive to own operate a legal business.

Marco*, a Bay Area dealer, sips on a bottle of lean and puffs on a Backwood. He lounges back and recollects his illicit roots, comparing it to an art and drawing parallels between the OG weed community and family.

“In the beginning, most people with any knowledge on the plant had learned it from a direct source,” he says. “Somebody who had grown it since the 1960s–those people were experimenting with hydroponics, indoor lighting environments, nutrient infusions, and all sorts of shit…Knowledge was protected by the farmers and distributors alike. Not everyone could just get into it, you had to be trusted.”

Marco has been in this business for seven years now, since he was in high school. He claims that since legalization, the familial aura of the illegal cannabis community has been fading—specifically, among those who are vying for licenses from the state. Yet, what remains a dominant factor of success is that of customer-to-buyer relationship. “People don’t often consider the family and relations that’s been built through the years between seller and buyer. The legal market just doesn’t have that yet.”

Marco believes the illicit market will continue to flourish because due to many enduring relationships between dealers and growers. Not everyone in the game is making the legal switch, according to Marco. Moreover, a lot of people aren’t looking to give up their strong relationships for a business that has no certainty. Furthermore, those just beginning in the legal market don’t have the same knowledge and experience as long-time growers.

“This is due to limitations of the industry going legal,” Marco says. “In my opinion, the goal of any licensed distributor or grower is to yield as much top quality product as possible. However, since a bunch of new guys are coming in not knowing a damn thing about how to grow pot, there’s an excess in B to C grade product floating around. These new guys ain’t got shit on those who’ve been doing it for years.”

Marco explains that his goal isn’t a matter of legality. Rather, his primary concern is helping people learn about the plant and make informed decisions about what works best for them.

“My goal is to serve more as a guide to those who might not entirely understand the plant. To show people the pros and cons and to help them find what works best for them. I just want to supply the people in my life with quality medicine so they can feel their best and achieve their best highs.”

An Outside Perspective

In 2019, however, Marco’s philosophy doesn’t mesh with California’s law. We reached out to the San Francisco Police Department with a few questions on the matter. But the inquiry was met with an uninformative response explaining that they find little activity in the illicit market.

Alex Traverso, the Chief of Communications for the Bureau of Cannabis Control—the organization responsible for regulating the legal market—admits knowing that illicit cannabis was going to be an issue. In fact, prior to Jan. 1, 2018, the BCC was well aware that underground commerce would be a problem. It’s been a hurdle for every state that’s implemented a legal cannabis program.

But illicit operations undercutting legal businesses is among the BCC’s biggest concerns. “There are people going out of their way to get a license and do everything by the book,” says Traverso. “And getting a license and paying your taxes increases your costs.”

Most people believe increased costs is the foundation in which the illicit market continues to thrive. According to Statista, the street price for an ounce of herb in California averages around $218, compared to the dispensary price of $299.

Despite higher prices for legal cannabis, California has seen floods of newcomers and tourists flocking to dispensaries to enjoy legal purchases and be properly informed about what they’re purchasing.

Traverso and his team have taken a number of steps to defend legal businesses against the illicit market. He says the BCC has sent out cease and desist letters to unlicensed businesses they discover through websites such as Weedmaps and Craigslist, for instance.

The BCC has followed up on complaints, Traverso explains. “There have been a number of legal businesses that are saying to us, ‘there are ten different illegal businesses right around our shop. We need someone to come shut these people down,’” he says. “So, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen overnight. Our investigators have to go in and build a case. But slowly and surely, we have shut a number of these businesses down.”

Still, there’s been a great difficulty for legal cannabis companies. In July 2018, regulations forced businesses to relabel cannabis-products, requiring stores to remove products from shelves and render them non-compliant—or unsellable. As the State continues to develop cannabis rules, it comes as no surprise that entrepreneurs are struggling to adapt. The BCC understands these difficulties, Traverso contends, and they’re doing everything in their power to help.

“We do our best at the Bureau to try and be available for people,” Traverso says. “I’m not gonna lie. It’s gotta be hard for businesses out there because this is a brand new thing. And the process California has gone through, at this point, is unlike any other state.”

Better Call The Pot Brother

Marc Wasserman isn’t your average lawyer. In fact, he’s a film actor turned criminal defense attorney. He fights solely for the rights of those who have been wrongly accused of cannabis charges. He teamed up with his brother, Craig, to form the Pot Brothers at Law who fight against prohibition and push for people’s rights.

A weed lawyer for longer than regulation has been in effect, Wasserman’s seen a lot in the illicit business. Though he can’t be on retention for anyone operating within the illicit market, he can defend these individuals after they’ve been arrested and charged. And Wasserman has done so many times.

“It’s grown 10-fold,” Wasserman tells High Times. “Quite frankly, [the legal market] is over-regulated and overtaxed—that’s driving consumers to go to the black market because it’s much cheaper. [Dealers] can undercut all the license businesses because they’re not getting [screwed] by regulation and taxes.”

These points are furthered by the fact legal cannabis isn’t treated like a normal business.

“Cannabis businesses have to deal with form 280-E of the IRS,” Wasserman says. “When you fill out this form, you’re saying, ‘we’re dealing an illegal Schedule 1 drug, but the government still wants its cut.’ Yet, they don’t allow you to take typical write-offs.”

Wasserman offers an example of a normal business having a secretary. If that business is paying this secretary $30,000 a year, they’re able to write it off as a tax cut. Legal cannabis businesses are not granted such privileges, however. All that can be written off are things that touch the plants, such as administrative work.

The deeper a person looks into the complications people must face in order to have a legitimate cannabis business, operating in the illicit cannabis seems far more attractive. If for nothing more than the overall profit made—without taxes.

Wasserman says there isn’t enough manpower or funding towards law enforcement to bust those driving the illicit market. Sure, we’re perpetuated with reports of raids taking place throughout California, but at the end of the day, these are only a small fraction of the large picture.

“When alcohol prohibition ended, you were flooded with your bootleggers and moonshiners,” Wasserman says. “That was until it all straightened itself out which probably took five to ten years.”

Forecast of the Underground Market

The biggest issue is the fact dealers aren’t only distributing cannabis. The problem behind the illicit market is larger than cannabis itself. For example, that lean Marco was sipping on wasn’t just for personal enjoyment. He was selling it by the bottle. He also had bags upon bags of prescription medication—everything from Xanax to Percocets.

No matter what lawmakers might do to stop it, they will be fighting the illicit market battle forever.  The reason? People like Heraty–medical patients who need cannabis at an affordable cost. Though he isn’t sure how long he’ll continue to purchase from dealers, he hopes to one day walk into a store and get his medication properly.

“I don’t enjoy illegally purchasing cannabis,” he explains. “I’ve seen the stores and they’re much more attractive than a trap house. I’ve seen the menus and the vast amount of choices these places offer. It’s wonderful! If I could afford it, I’d be in those shops all the time. It’s unfortunate California’s government is more concerned about getting their share of the cut rather than providing their residents with an affordable service.”

*Name has been changed

TO READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE ON HIGH TIMES, CLICK HERE.

https://hightimes.com/news/legalization/back-black-why-consumers-staying-loyal-illicit-cannabis-market/

[weedconsortium2]

As people still go to jail for cannabis-related crimes, it’s a privilege to be able to carry a half-ounce bag of herb and not be doing anything illegal. But does this new freedom come with consequences? Most of California’s Proposition 215 supporters seem to believe so, particularly when it comes to high taxes inflating retail prices.

It’s pushing people back to the illicit market—the underground commerce our government said would dissipate upon legalization—to procure their meds.  Although it seems agreeable for potheads on a budget, illicit cannabis is a splitting headache for the state.

Jake Heraty, a student at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, had a liver transplant at only six-months-old and survived hepatoblastoma, a rare cancerous tumor that develops in the liver. Heraty uses cannabis to alleviate chronic pain resulting from his surgery. It’s extremely difficult for college students (or anyone not making $150,000 a year)  to survive in San Francisco, and Heraty can barely afford the medicinal marijuana he needs.

“I don’t like purchasing from the streets,” Heraty tells High Times. “I’d prefer to go to a store and pick out just what I want. You know? But when you have to pay an extra 15 percent in taxes, there’s really no questions. I just can’t afford to throw down 20 extra dollars so the state can get their share of the cannabis market. That extra tax is my dinner.”

Still, the state of California is making efforts to rid the streets of these affordable cannabis outlets. Last May, Governor Jerry Brown proposed to put $14 million into investigations towards illegal cannabis market activity. Brown’s proposal has been put into effect and a number of illicit market groups—from distributors to cultivators—have been raided. A job like this with only $14 million is simply absurd. Destroying the illicit cannabis market in California is a multi-billion dollar job.

It’s going to take just as many years to destroy the illicit market as it will to create a well-oiled legal cannabis system.

Inside the Illicit Market

It isn’t just expensive for consumers to buy legal cannabis—it’s also expensive to own operate a legal business.

Marco*, a Bay Area dealer, sips on a bottle of lean and puffs on a Backwood. He lounges back and recollects his illicit roots, comparing it to an art and drawing parallels between the OG weed community and family.

“In the beginning, most people with any knowledge on the plant had learned it from a direct source,” he says. “Somebody who had grown it since the 1960s–those people were experimenting with hydroponics, indoor lighting environments, nutrient infusions, and all sorts of shit…Knowledge was protected by the farmers and distributors alike. Not everyone could just get into it, you had to be trusted.”

Marco has been in this business for seven years now, since he was in high school. He claims that since legalization, the familial aura of the illegal cannabis community has been fading—specifically, among those who are vying for licenses from the state. Yet, what remains a dominant factor of success is that of customer-to-buyer relationship. “People don’t often consider the family and relations that’s been built through the years between seller and buyer. The legal market just doesn’t have that yet.”

Marco believes the illicit market will continue to flourish because due to many enduring relationships between dealers and growers. Not everyone in the game is making the legal switch, according to Marco. Moreover, a lot of people aren’t looking to give up their strong relationships for a business that has no certainty. Furthermore, those just beginning in the legal market don’t have the same knowledge and experience as long-time growers.

“This is due to limitations of the industry going legal,” Marco says. “In my opinion, the goal of any licensed distributor or grower is to yield as much top quality product as possible. However, since a bunch of new guys are coming in not knowing a damn thing about how to grow pot, there’s an excess in B to C grade product floating around. These new guys ain’t got shit on those who’ve been doing it for years.”

Marco explains that his goal isn’t a matter of legality. Rather, his primary concern is helping people learn about the plant and make informed decisions about what works best for them.

“My goal is to serve more as a guide to those who might not entirely understand the plant. To show people the pros and cons and to help them find what works best for them. I just want to supply the people in my life with quality medicine so they can feel their best and achieve their best highs.”

An Outside Perspective

In 2019, however, Marco’s philosophy doesn’t mesh with California’s law. We reached out to the San Francisco Police Department with a few questions on the matter. But the inquiry was met with an uninformative response explaining that they find little activity in the illicit market.

Alex Traverso, the Chief of Communications for the Bureau of Cannabis Control—the organization responsible for regulating the legal market—admits knowing that illicit cannabis was going to be an issue. In fact, prior to Jan. 1, 2018, the BCC was well aware that underground commerce would be a problem. It’s been a hurdle for every state that’s implemented a legal cannabis program.

But illicit operations undercutting legal businesses is among the BCC’s biggest concerns. “There are people going out of their way to get a license and do everything by the book,” says Traverso. “And getting a license and paying your taxes increases your costs.”

Most people believe increased costs is the foundation in which the illicit market continues to thrive. According to Statista, the street price for an ounce of herb in California averages around $218, compared to the dispensary price of $299.

Despite higher prices for legal cannabis, California has seen floods of newcomers and tourists flocking to dispensaries to enjoy legal purchases and be properly informed about what they’re purchasing.

Traverso and his team have taken a number of steps to defend legal businesses against the illicit market. He says the BCC has sent out cease and desist letters to unlicensed businesses they discover through websites such as Weedmaps and Craigslist, for instance.

The BCC has followed up on complaints, Traverso explains. “There have been a number of legal businesses that are saying to us, ‘there are ten different illegal businesses right around our shop. We need someone to come shut these people down,’” he says. “So, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen overnight. Our investigators have to go in and build a case. But slowly and surely, we have shut a number of these businesses down.”

Still, there’s been a great difficulty for legal cannabis companies. In July 2018, regulations forced businesses to relabel cannabis-products, requiring stores to remove products from shelves and render them non-compliant—or unsellable. As the State continues to develop cannabis rules, it comes as no surprise that entrepreneurs are struggling to adapt. The BCC understands these difficulties, Traverso contends, and they’re doing everything in their power to help.

“We do our best at the Bureau to try and be available for people,” Traverso says. “I’m not gonna lie. It’s gotta be hard for businesses out there because this is a brand new thing. And the process California has gone through, at this point, is unlike any other state.”

Better Call The Pot Brother

Marc Wasserman isn’t your average lawyer. In fact, he’s a film actor turned criminal defense attorney. He fights solely for the rights of those who have been wrongly accused of cannabis charges. He teamed up with his brother, Craig, to form the Pot Brothers at Law who fight against prohibition and push for people’s rights.

A weed lawyer for longer than regulation has been in effect, Wasserman’s seen a lot in the illicit business. Though he can’t be on retention for anyone operating within the illicit market, he can defend these individuals after they’ve been arrested and charged. And Wasserman has done so many times.

“It’s grown 10-fold,” Wasserman tells High Times. “Quite frankly, [the legal market] is over-regulated and overtaxed—that’s driving consumers to go to the black market because it’s much cheaper. [Dealers] can undercut all the license businesses because they’re not getting [screwed] by regulation and taxes.”

These points are furthered by the fact legal cannabis isn’t treated like a normal business.

“Cannabis businesses have to deal with form 280-E of the IRS,” Wasserman says. “When you fill out this form, you’re saying, ‘we’re dealing an illegal Schedule 1 drug, but the government still wants its cut.’ Yet, they don’t allow you to take typical write-offs.”

Wasserman offers an example of a normal business having a secretary. If that business is paying this secretary $30,000 a year, they’re able to write it off as a tax cut. Legal cannabis businesses are not granted such privileges, however. All that can be written off are things that touch the plants, such as administrative work.

The deeper a person looks into the complications people must face in order to have a legitimate cannabis business, operating in the illicit cannabis seems far more attractive. If for nothing more than the overall profit made—without taxes.

Wasserman says there isn’t enough manpower or funding towards law enforcement to bust those driving the illicit market. Sure, we’re perpetuated with reports of raids taking place throughout California, but at the end of the day, these are only a small fraction of the large picture.

“When alcohol prohibition ended, you were flooded with your bootleggers and moonshiners,” Wasserman says. “That was until it all straightened itself out which probably took five to ten years.”

Forecast of the Underground Market

The biggest issue is the fact dealers aren’t only distributing cannabis. The problem behind the illicit market is larger than cannabis itself. For example, that lean Marco was sipping on wasn’t just for personal enjoyment. He was selling it by the bottle. He also had bags upon bags of prescription medication—everything from Xanax to Percocets.

No matter what lawmakers might do to stop it, they will be fighting the illicit market battle forever.  The reason? People like Heraty–medical patients who need cannabis at an affordable cost. Though he isn’t sure how long he’ll continue to purchase from dealers, he hopes to one day walk into a store and get his medication properly.

“I don’t enjoy illegally purchasing cannabis,” he explains. “I’ve seen the stores and they’re much more attractive than a trap house. I’ve seen the menus and the vast amount of choices these places offer. It’s wonderful! If I could afford it, I’d be in those shops all the time. It’s unfortunate California’s government is more concerned about getting their share of the cut rather than providing their residents with an affordable service.”

*Name has been changed

The post Back To Black: Why Consumers Are Staying Loyal To The Illicit Cannabis Market appeared first on High Times.

The post Back To Black: Why Consumers Are Staying Loyal To The Illicit Cannabis Market appeared first on CBD Oil Vape Liquid Spray - Cbd Pain Relief Capsules - Weed Consortium.

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2IpqcCf via IFTTT