How to safely buy weed

Now, I’m sure most of the patrons of this site are probably well seasoned smokers who know the ropes of the drug game like the back of their hand. However, there are undoubtedly some people out there who have yet to try buying weed, and are understandably a bit intimidated by the concept. Hopefully I can clear up any misconceptions, and quell any fears you might have.
First off, many people have a preconceived notion that drug dealers are all scary tatted up ex-felons who keep a cocked and loaded 9 mil on them at all times. This is, for the most part, untrue. There are the scary guys, of course, but you can easily avoid them with some common sense. If you have no hook ups, as is the case with most new buyers, try to avoid asking random people who look like they might smoke weed. Random people are the ones most likely to jack you. Unless you’re new to a town or have absolutely no friends who smoke, you should be able to ask a friend for their dealer’s number.
If you’ve gotten your dealer through a friend, you probably don’t have to worry about them ripping you off, but in case you think they have questionable morals, there are a few simple things to look out for when purchasing weed. First on the list, smell.
When buying shwag you really don’t have to worry much about this, but when you’re looking for dank there should be a strong smell. It varies from strain to strain, and you’ll eventually be able to tell the subtle differences, but in general it will have a strong hint of skunk, with maybe an undertone of some fruit or coffee. If it smells strongly like a specific fruit, like blueberry, for example, it is most likely VERY good weed.
What you want to see when buying dank is some pretty fluffy, very green weed, most likely with some orange or red “hairs” all over it. It should not be squished together, like shwag is, and you should be able to see lots of separate nugs. In general, a sativa strain (think of a mind high) will be very light green in color, with some bright red or orange hairs, and a good indica (this is more of a body load high) will be dark green with darker hairs, or purple. Remember, stems are pretty much worthless, so if you can see a lot of stem in a hook up you might want to mention it. With shwag, the weed varies dramatically in color, and can be anything from light green to brown. Try to avoid any brown weed, as this is the lowest quality. Shwag will probably be very dense and compact, unlike dank.
The texture of weed isn’t very important, but good weed will generally be “sticky” to the touch. This basically means if you pinch the weed, and your fingers are noticeably sticky, you probably have a pretty good hook up. If dank is really fresh it will probably be pretty moist, and very difficult to break up. Some of the best weed I’ve ever smoked required scissors to cut it up so we could put it into a bowl. This doesn’t mean, however, that dry weed is bad. It just means it’s a bit older, and this is sometimes a convenient thing, as it makes it easier to break up. Also, and I have no evidence to back this up, I believe that fresh weed is sometimes a worse buy because as it dries out it loses water, so that gram you bought may turn out to be more like .8. 
It’s very difficult to describe the differences between the tastes of shwag and dank, but when you smoke the two you will see an obvious difference. Generally, dank is a harsher smoke, and the better the dank, the worse the burn on your lungs will feel. Don’t worry, your throat will adapt to this burn, and it will hurt less, the more you smoke.
Prices are very regional, sometimes varying widely between cities in the same state. In general, expect to pay around $20 for a gram, $65 for an eighth, and $120 for a quarter of very good weed. An ounce of shwag will probably be around $45. If you live in a state or country where weed laws are very lax, like California for example, weed prices can be dramatically lower. Ask your friends what they pay to get a good idea.
When meeting a dealer for the first time it’s easy to be suspicious of them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but keep in mind that the police usually target suppliers, and not buyers in their sting operations. If you’re buying under an ounce or two of weed, you most likely aren’t buying from a cop. Try your best to avoid meeting the dealer somewhere like a parking lot. Many dealers do this, and it is very dangerous. All it takes is for one cop to drive by, and you’re as good as busted. And believe me, if a cop sees two people parked next to each other, they know exactly what is going on.
If your dealer insists on meeting somewhere other than inside his or your house, pick a spot on a residential street. Police are much less likely to be patrolling a neighborhood, and if anyone called the cops on you you’re likely to be long gone by the time they show up. I’ve found that deals inside fast food restaurants can be pretty safe, but use common sense.
Finally, remember that dealers are trying to make money, and they need you to do that. Dealers are probably 5 times as nervous about you, as you are about them, so the first couple deals they might act pretty reserved. After they get to know you, and if you’re a consistent buyer, they’ll be more likely to give you good deals, so be cool to them. And never, under any circumstances, front money for drugs. You won’t run into this issue unless you’re buying large amounts, but it almost always turns out bad.
Keep in mind that common sense overrules anything anyone can tell you, and you should use it all times. Be safe and happy smoking!

—content from Stoner Culture