He has blonde, gently gelled hair, and wears a straight, striped T-shirt with a collar. His broad, white smile catches the eye: This is Mirko P. (name changed), who grew up in Lokstedt. He works in an industrial company, but that is not his only source of income. The 22-year-old is also a dealer. This does not correspond to the cliché of the street dealer who waits for customers in parks and dark corners. And it’s not a special case: Most stoners have a “trusted dealer” whom they contact when necessary. Mirko P. spoke to Mopo about how he slipped into the drug business as a teenager from a middle-class family, what he earned with it, what his neighbors say, why he is afraid of the police – and what the planned cannabis legalization for him would change.
It is 6 p.m. when the doorbell rings at my apartment door. It’s Mirko P .. He’s just finished work. Usually he sits on one of the Elbe ferries now, as he does every evening, and drives home from work. He greets me warmly, speaks quickly, swallows words and looks nervous. He’s obviously taking a risk here. We sit down, I ask him if he would like tea. He refuses. “Is it okay if I smoke one?” He asks me. “Yes, on the balcony,” I answer. While Mirko P. is rolling a joint, he says that his identity can never be determined from the interview. I hear a question mark at the end of the sentence and assure him of anonymity: “No, I will change your name”. Then it starts.
MOPO: “We are introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for pleasure purposes in licensed shops,” says the contract of the Ampel coalition. What will become of you then?
Mirko P .: I could do without my income, to be honest. Then I just don’t have any extra money a month. But I have a buddy who is unemployed. His only income comes from the drug business. He would definitely be worse off than me. He doesn’t make huge sums of money with it, maybe only around 1000 euros a month. But he also needs them.
While he answers me, he stands in the frame of the open balcony door. He keeps pulling on the joint at short intervals and keeps the smoke in his lungs for a long time. Sometimes he doesn’t even breathe it out before the next puff, the smoke comes out of his mouth when he speaks. The smell pulls into mine apartment. It reminds me of hops – when you open a bottle of beer and then approach the neck of the bottle with your nose. I’m glad he puts the joint in the ashtray halfway through, the cold pulls in. “The other half is for later,” he says. It works, so he urgently needed the quick roar. He now appears calmer, safer, more relaxed. Just like others need a beer after work, Mirko P. obviously needs half a joint.
You have a steady job and grew up in a middle-class manner. Why are you selling drugs at all?
It really started very slowly for me. Actually, it came about because back then I kept getting some grass for a few people. And then there were more and more. I still remember that I started an apprenticeship when I was 16 and didn’t have to touch my salary for the first two months. That’s when I started living with the money from drug sales and saving my actual salary. And now, I have to honestly say, I’m only doing it for the money.
Did you start selling cannabis when you were 16? Even though they weren’t in need, actually had enough money?
The very first time that I had anything to do with it was when I was 14. I bought 25 grams with friends and sold it again at a higher price. That cost 200 euros at the time. We basically threw our pocket money together. But after that we left it again. I then went on alone when I was 16. Only during my apprenticeship exam did I not sell anything for a few weeks. That was too stressful for me. Because I also smoke weed myself, it is much cheaper if I buy large quantities in order to resell them and also to serve myself with them. And so the sale is simply worth it for me.
Mirko P. uses a lot of filler words like “um” when answering my questions. He alternately looks at his hands, which he has folded up on the table, and then at me. After every answer, his look seems questioning, as if I should signal to him that he didn’t say anything wrong. I nod to him with a smile and keep asking.
How much do you earn a month selling cannabis?
I never have a box office, so I can’t really tell. Most of the time I spend the sales of weed directly on visits to restaurants, cafes and so on. But I would say I make up to around 2,000 euros a month. That varies, of course. Sometimes you have a great month when people get a lot, then it can be more.
How many customers do you have per month?
Good question. On average, you could say that I care for at least one, if not two, person a day. Something between 30 and 60 people a month – then you could take the middle, so an average of 45 people. Sometimes people come two or three times.
He speaks fluently and clearly now. But when it comes to money or when the terms cannabis or weed appear in his sentences, he lowers his voice. As if someone were still in my apartment who could hear us. He asks if he could have some tea. I’ll bring him a cup. His eyes are smaller than they were half an hour ago. I have the feeling that he is fine now and that he really needed the joint. I continue.
And how do you communicate with them then? Is it safe?
I write via the messengers “WhatsApp”, “Telegram” and “Signal”. But sometimes also via “Privnote”. This is a website where you can write a text. Then you can create a link from it that you send and as soon as the text has been read by the recipient, the content is deleted. That should be safe, but I always think to myself, if the police really have me on their radar, then it’s my turn. Of course I’m cautious, but it also has a lot to do with luck. I think if something happens, it’s with a deal on the street. Or if someone else is caught and connections can be made with me.
How do your customers become aware of you?
They’re all friends, or friends of friends. Most of them actually come from school. I come from Lokstedt, from one of those stoners’ circles. Funnily enough, the sale ensures that there is still contact with many people from the past. I am also sometimes recommended, then my number is passed on. But I also have completely different customers.
For example?
Different ages but really normal people. Actually, everyone has a job, everyone is nice. From 18 to over 40, I would guess, everything is included.
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And where do you get the cannabis from? Do you order this on the internet?
No. I got this from Eimsbüttel until a few months ago. In the meantime I’ll get it elsewhere. A buddy always brings that over to me. I don’t really have to do anything. Sometimes I have to give the money beforehand, sometimes not. But I don’t know where my source buys this itself. But he also deals in other things, like cocaine and the like, drives a Mercedes and certainly only makes his money with drugs. I guess it makes around 10,000 euros a month. He changes his cell phone and number so often. But I think, “Shit swims up” and sooner or later you get caught if you don’t draw a line beforehand.
Do you sell any other drugs besides cannabis?
No, I’ve never done that before. I’ve tried something myself, but I’ve never sold anything other than cannabis. I once made a few contacts for friends about people who sell harder things, but nothing more.
I ask several questions about this. He looks believable. He also seems to really care not to sell to minors. He has no control over the consumer behavior of his customers, which is harmful in case of doubt. I also wonder if he’s really in control of his own consumption.
Has something ever gone wrong?
I always meet people at my home. I know that many would now say: ‘That’s dangerous, then he’ll know where you live’. But you get a feeling for when something is wrong. Of course, I was withdrawn earlier. But people basically want to have a good relationship with their dealers and keep a good source. That’s why it’s always within limits for me. But when a completely new customer comes along, I’m of course very careful. The first few times I always check out what kind of guy he is. Once a customer really got on my nerves. He stood in front of my door at night and rang the bell, at some point even with the neighbors and clouded around outside. He was drunk and wanted weed. Without prior consultation, I don’t really give people anything. But to make sure he got away, I did it that night anyway. I ended up breaking contact and claiming I had stopped selling. To this day, my heart pounds when the doorbell rings and I don’t know who it is.
Don’t your neighbors notice that customers keep coming to you?
Nobody has complained yet. On the contrary. When I lived in my apartment for six months, a neighbor from the girls’ flat above me stood in front of my door and asked if I could sell her weed. She must have smelled that I smoke weed myself. I then gave her something. I’m also always nice and friendly to the neighbors and actually make sure that nobody is disturbed. If someone complained, I would take it seriously.
Are you sometimes afraid of being targeted by the police?
Yes, of course I think about it sometimes and I’m really scared. Of course, I always try to handle everything as safely as possible, but of course something can always happen. And when the time comes, that’s the way it is.
You said you didn’t need any of that. Why don’t you just stop?
At some point I will stop. But not just yet. It’s always like that. When things are going well, you don’t just stop.
Many hamburgers who deal in cannabis or other drugs may have this thought. According to the police, 2,860 people were officially caught trafficking and smuggling narcotics in 2020 alone. Half of the cases concerned cannabis offenses. After around three cups of tea and two hours together with a dealer at my dining table, I put the pad and pen aside. “Thank you for telling me so much about your business,” I say. The initial distance and his nervousness seem blown away. He seems surprised that it’s over now, even disappointed. As if he wanted to go on talking for hours. Then he starts telling me about his evening planning. He is “dead tired” from work and will go to sleep this morning. Then he gets up and walks towards the hall. At the end he says again: “You will never guess that I’m the dealer in the interview. That will be fine ”- this time without a question mark. Then he leaves my apartment.
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