High time for budding businesspeople

For some in New York City, yesterday was tinted green.

April 20 — 4/20 to cognoscenti — marked an annual cannabis fête inaugurated in the 1970s by Northern California high school students who, the story goes, would meet up at 4:20 p.m. to partake of the plant. Since then, public attitudes and laws with regard to marijuana have shifted considerably: Seven states and the District of Columbia allow recreational use and several more, including New York, permit consumption for medical reasons.

Still, 4/20 retains an illicit component in those states where it is not fully legal. That translates into a commercial boon, with large amounts of cash green trading for sticky, fragrant green buds.

A Downtown-based dealer who goes by the name “Blue” called 4/20 “one hell of a track day.” While winter is generally slow season, Blue said that he sells over two ounces per day starting around the middle of April. He deals top-shelf strains, which retail for $260 an ounce.

“We have ‘Gorilla Glue,’ we have ‘Girl Scout Cookies,’ we have ‘Super Sour,’ we have ‘Grape Ape’ — we have a lot,” Blue said of his various products.

Blue has been selling for more than four years. The trade, he said, has made him multiple friends. Blue said his operation began by prospecting the downtown Manhattan area, distributing business cards and networking “4/20 people.”

“I don’t discriminate, honestly,” Blue said. “I make sure everyone takes care of everyone: I don’t lie to any of my customers, I don’t skimp them, I make sure I have a referral system with my customers and keep it very professional.”

While Blue said he hustles to make an honest dollar, other, typically younger dealers do so to get a free high.

“Dr. Jums,” a college-age dealer, said he started dealing to provide for a group of 15 friends who always wanted weed but had no reliable sources.

“I was like, ‘Forget about it, I’ll find a dealer, buy a lot and you just buy it from me,’” Dr. Jums said.

He conducts business via an app called Wickr, an encrypted communication platform that deletes messages after 24 hours.

He prices his weed at $70 for a quarter-ounce and $130 for a half. But he offers discounts for regular customers, depending on how often and how much they buy. He also tailors rates to his product’s quality.

New York marijuana possession and distribution laws vary depending on the amount. The sale of 25 grams or less is treated as a misdemeanor, although punishable by up to a year in jail. The sale of more than 25 grams is a felony, with jail time increasing the larger the amount.

Student-dealer Riley said he learned the trade from his older brother, and honed it through trial-and-error.

“Most of it for me was learning how to manage finances, paying attention and keeping track of everything — there’s a lot of different parts,” Riley said. “You definitely learn how to budget, and that’s something I never really ever had to do. When you [mess] up, you just don’t make a profit. That’s how I realized this is a business, and that’s something I can apply anywhere.”

He carries his stash in his backpack, and as a white, 19-year-old with long brown hair, Riley said his student aesthetic allays suspicion. But to be safe, he still only buys small amounts — two or three ounces.

“It’s better to buy bulk, because as with anything, it’s cheaper,” Riley said. “But at the same time, just because it’s in bulk and it’s cheaper, it doesn’t mean I’ll make more money, ‘cause I realized having all that weed just sit there is kind of detrimental to me in making a profit.”

Dr. Jums said that dealing weed is similar in many respects to other commercial operations — the less time a product remains on the shelf, the fresher his inventory and the better his business. It’s a constant cycle of bringing in weed and pushing it out. During regular business throughout the year, Dr. Jums said he averages around one customer per day but gets two to three during mid-to-late April.

This is Dr. Jums’ second April 20 since he started dealing, but like Blue, every day is basically 4/20 for him. Dr. Jums said that from his daily “wake-and-bake” ritual to taking a drag before bed, he has toked so much that his highs only last a short time.

Call it quality control.

“Weed actually makes you happy or hungry and then sleepy,” Dr. Jums said. “That’s what all the humans love: to sleep, eat and be happy.”