Tuesday, April 7, 2009

EDUCATING SMB

KSM crack series still lifes 1 A little over a week ago, I announced that I had been selected to sit on the jury of a criminal trial. Due to an emergency illness with Daughter #2, I was excused after one day of testimony.
We, the jury, were told by the judge that the case would take two days. I was in attendance for the opening statements by both the prosecution and the defense. The United States presented their case and rested at the end of the day. I was not there to hear the defense. I have been watching the local paper to see if the case is mentioned and thus far…..nothing.
I couldn’t possibly have formed an opinion about whether the defendant was guilty or innocent having only heard half the story. I am left with many questions but they are not about guilt or innocence.
It was a drug case. The defendant was accused of selling crack cocaine and marijuana within 1000 feet of an elementary school and attempted assault on a police officer. Evidence was produced. I saw crack cocaine for the first time in my life. I also saw marijuana……..again. Hey, I was a teenager during the 70s. You would have had to have lived under a rock to have never seen marijuana during those times.
I learned that drugs are commonly concealed in those little plastic tubes that super glue comes in. Now every time I see super glue, I’m going to wonder…….Drug dealer? Drug user? Broken dishes?
The marijuana evidence was presented in little ziploc bags measuring about a square inch. Once filled with this grassy substance, the bag was about the size of the end of my thumb. I had to wonder if this amount would even be enough to fill one joint doobie marijuana cigarette. I’ve always seen heard that the stuff comes in sandwich baggies typically filled one third to one half full. And I thought they were putting less in my cereal box.
This got me thinking. Where do you get little, tiny ziploc bags like that? I’ve never seen bags that size in my local grocery. Who supplies the suppliers? This drug business is a whole industry in itself. Who knew? Certainly not me.
The crack cocaine was presented to us in even tinier ziploc bags. Where do you get these things? And by the way, the bags are yellow. I got the impression from testimony that nine out of ten leading drug dealers prefer yellow bags over any other color.
I was also surprised to find that these drug deals can go down (I kinda sound like DeNiro there, huh?) for less than $10. My chocolate addiction is more expensive than that. I was always under the impression that illegal drug use was completely unaffordable. Obviously I was misled by the propaganda distributed by my parents and teachers. I’m not advocating that we all take up new drug addictions. I’m just simply stating that I was misinformed.
So, assuming that you are not an illegal drug dealer or a drug user, I have to ask: Have you ever seen these ziploc bags for sale? Have you seen them used for something other than crack or marijuana? What are the other uses for this type of baggie? Do the suppliers know the intended use of their product? These are questions I would like to have answered.
Can you help a smart mouth broad? This inquiring mind needs to know.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just out of curiosity I quickly did an online search for small, tiny ziplocs, yellow.... I had no problem finding very small ones, but nothing in yellow.... I guess if a person looks hard enough they can probably find anything they want or need, even if it be for illegal use. What a wonderful world we live in, huh?

http://www.gtzip.com/ziplock/ucplain4mil.html

Di
The Blue Ridge Gal

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I'm thinking they know exactly the uses of their products. Would have been interested to see how it all turned out.

Anonymous said...

I know when I worked in a hospital pharmacy we had little baggies that a pill or two would fit in that we would stick a label on stating what it was to replace a dropped or spit out pill for a patient.

Lea said...

I get them at Michaels craft store.

I use them for my loose beads and sometimes to put something I've made into them to send off, like a bracelet or earrings. Really, I swear I do!

I've seen them with skull and crossbones and dragonflys on them so am not surprised to hear that they come in yellow, I wonder why yellow though, seems odd, but then again they are drug dealers and probably do the stuff as well, so maybe they just think the color yellow is pretty.

Reader Wil said...

I've never seen crack but marijuana more often than not. It is sold in very small bags with a
marijuana leaf on it. I don't smoke but my son did and perhaps still does.Thanks for your interesting post.
The little doggie in my header is my daughter's puppy in Australia.

thyme said...

http://www.minigrip.nl/product_detail/1_5_9/minigrip-verpakkingen/?gclid=CJqHiIX94JkCFUKK3godKHaSaQ

The ziplock bags are often used for bolts and nuts and rings and small hardware. Coffee shops selling MJ like to print a mariuana leaf on. Mariuana in the days that I smoked it was sold in quantities of 1 to 10 grammes (10-25 guilders depending on quality) which would fit in one of the regular small ziplock bags, the very small ones that you are talking about might be for the more concentrated heavier dope like crack or coke or whatsit, in powder or pill form. LSD might also go in the very tiny bags. Here it is allowed to posess softdrugs for personal use so no-one would be convicted for a quantity worth $10... but selling crack near an elementary school is a criminal offence here. No jury needed to condemn it, just a judge. Not sure what the punishments are, I think a few years prison time.

cheatymoon said...

Fascinating subject, SMB. Thanks for the info! I can use it in my line of work.

My dad has an online business that sells sports rings, keychains, etc. He uses those little bags for packing some of the smaller items.

Anonymous said...

I've seen those little zip lock bags. Like Lea said, crafters use them to hold beads, etc. I have a friend who makes jewelry and she uses them to keep earrings in.

What's up with the yellow ones though?

Sounds like an interesting case. I am so naive about these things...not sure if that would make me an ideal candidate for the jury or an immediate exclusion!

Pseudo said...

I've seen the little zip lock bags at the bead store...

Erin Moore said...

LOL - you are hilarious! Thanks for the laugh this morning, I needed that!!!

It's funny, last summer my husband asked me to check the craft store for some small ziplock baggies for some of his fishing hooks (I think) - I was like, I don't know where to find them, you'll have to go ask a drug dealer. It's a mystery to me too!

If they buy them online, it would seem like a smart idea to set up a sting operation on all the people who buy those little bags - that would lead you right to the drug dealer.

I'm a terrible juror - I think everyone is guilty.

Linda said...

Yup, beads storage.

Unknown said...

I concur, the teeny tiny zippies can be bought by the thousands online for small 'findings' (we in the handcrafted jewelry business call 'em that!).

What I want to know is... how does someone clean out a Super Glue tube enough so that they can then pack it with drugs? Are the drugs further enhanced by 'leftovers' if they don't get it all out? Just asking.

Anonymous said...

I've got lots of the clear bags for beads, jewelry, etc.

Want me to send you some for your next......uhm...beading project? *wink*

Jan said...

Hmmm, well, yes, very enlightening post.

I WAS going to tell you that you could only buy those tiny little ziplock bags at head shops - not that I've every been in a head shop, mind you, but I've heard tell of them - and then I found out from all of your wonderfully law-abiding readers that you can buy them at craft stores.

I'll never look at all of those little old ladies in Michael's in quite the same way now...

Beth said...

"My chocolate addiction is more expensive than that..." Classic!

I'm pretty clueless about drugs. Sorry. But I think you can order little bags online. We have a candy store near our school that donates candy to the students. They have these tiny bags and they put about 6 or 7 jelly beans inside.

Now I'm worried that they are selling crack on the playground.

Wunderwoman said...

I'm uninformed too, sorry can't help you...but I'll come back to see if you got the answers:)

Michel said...

I'm with you! All those commenters up above - the ones who claim they're for beads, bolts or meds are obviously dealing drugs and that is what they tell the po-po when they arrive at their door after doing some ziploc baggie profiling.

Don't worry though. I've turned them ALL into the Legatt here at the Embassy. Justice will prevail.

Debbie said...

I've seen those at craft stores too. But it does make you think.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Yep...I have seen those tiny bags. I have some..I just had an adorable little red teapot pin arrive in one last week..but NO yellow ones.
Pot. Don't even get me started. I remember a helicopter landing in Northern California where they killed a man and his dog while his wife watched. No..don't get me started.
Interesting case it would have been..let us know if you hear more.

Remember, I had seven children..and quite a few were teens all at once. Pot? Yes, I believe I remember back then.

I just never understood if something was against the darned law...WHY do it?! But..then..remember prohabition?? The little green door? LOL
Smiles and love,
Mona

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

OH dear! I just reread again what I wrote. I am NOT advocating pot. I just do not think people should be shot over it. Jail time..maybe ..but not death.

Bookworm said...

Yes I did smoke the MJ when I was in college. But I never inhaled...

*snort*

Clinton was such a dumbass if he thought we would believe that.

Whenever I buy thyme in bulk from the grocery store, it goes into a little plastic bag. It really looks a lot like MJ that way, and I always think that I need to hide it at the bottom of the bag! LOL

Phat Mama said...

This post made me laugh, and hmm, no, never seen the yellow bags. I'd prefer pink though if I did a lil rock.

Anonymous said...

I'm with every else on the plastic bags - bead storage.

Yellow bags probaly make it look like you're getting more crack than what's really in the bag.

I've smoked alot of pot and it was always delivered in sandwich sized bags.

Anonymous said...

I had no idea about any of this packaging. I feel so incredibly old now.

CocoDivaDog said...

Hey Girl,
I used to teach in a school in the south Bronx about 10 years ago. It was in a drug-infested shit-hole of a neighborhood. Every morning the sidewalk was littered with empty vials, dime bags, and beer bottles.

You can buy those tiny zip lock bags at wholesale stores that cater to beauty-supply shops, art & crafts shops, and hardware shops.

BTW, I had a bad-ass boyfriend in college who used to sell pot...he would put that stuff in sandwich baggies...

Twenty Four At Heart said...

Beads, beads, beads, bongs, beads. I mean bead bags!!

tera said...

As I see others have stated - bead storage. Craft store. As to the color...I also have never seen yellow ones. Do you suppose the drugs turn the plastic yellow? Huh. Interesting, if strange.
I suspect the suspect is guilty as sin and I hope they throw the book. (I have zero tolerance for that kind of thing...can you tell?)

Lori said...

You are so funny! I have been sick so haven't been around much so just got done reading all the comments here...too funny.

Debbie said...

Well I must say SMB that you missed your calling in life. Never mind sitting on a little ol jury!...You should have been one of the high powered lawyers defending the drug dealer! With the kind of mind you have (like a lawyer), inquiring minds want to know why you never took the bar?? You are a riot...honestly...I laugh almost every time I read your blog.:):)LOL here! Love the line about your chocolate addiction...I can SURE relate. Mine is Reisens...chocolate covered caramel ones. Oh...almost forgot...a little quote.....
"Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut."...Deniro

Fragrant Liar said...

I'll bet those little yellow bags are sort of a novelty item, like rainbow-colored condoms. I'll bet you can find them in a head shop or something similar. Hell, maybe even Walgreen's.

Girl Tornado said...

As Lea mentioned, I do believe the craft stores sell the teeny little bags. I think I probably had some when I did my beading, I just don't remember...

Sorta makes sense now, why so many women have taken up beading... LOL.

Far Side of Fifty said...

I have some upstairs that my hubby bought years ago for to store craft items in..we package "handmade" crafts in them with paper folded over the top and punched holes in them to hang them up..the small bags discourages shoplifting and gave us a way to display small items..honest.. I think he ordered them from a plastic bag supply place.. I have never seen yellow ones...honest. :)