After our chat, Aleksej gave me some of his weed cookies to try.
My friend Aleksej (not his real name) is a 21-year-old Romanian model living in New York. Last time I saw him, I got pretty dazzled by his new, shiny bike: "Do you only sleep with investment bankers these days?" I asked him.
Aleksej's round, full lips mean that he normally models for high-end brands who pay well, but at the moment things are pretty quiet in New York. The next fashion week isn't happening for a while and the pocket money he gets from his agency ($100 per week) is not even enough to cover beef jerky dinners. In order to make some quick cash, he started working as a drug delivery boy. Apparently, that's a pretty popular part-time occupation among young male models living in New York.
VICE: How could you afford that bike?
Aleksej: My boss advanced me the cash to buy it. Some other model friends and I got sick of hanging around the apartment all day. My buddy told me he was offered a job as a courier for the same guy we were getting our weed from. He asked if I would be interested to do the same thing, and the money is good so I said yes.
So I can order drugs from your company, in the same way I order pizza?
Basically, yes. Our company offers pretty much anything a stoner's heart longs for: Indica, Sativa, cookies, THC oral spray, everything you can imagine. You just have to text me or one of the other delivery boys and within the next 20 minutes the stuff arrives right at your door. It’s great for the customers—on the one hand, they don't have to take the risk of buying it on the street and getting arrested, and on the other, the quality of our product is good. Of course that's why our prices are higher than what you find on the street.
What's in it for you?
I earn $10 per drop. At the end of the day that sums up to more or less $200, and I always get a baggie of weed on top. I either use it up myself or sell it for another $65. I love this job! I spent all day out on the street, meeting lots of people. If I have the time, I like hanging out with my clients too. Most of them know me pretty well by now.
That does sound great. But what will you do if any cops stop you to frisk you?
I’m carrying the weed in a padded box in my backpack. It's locked. When cops ask me to open it, I just say I don't have the key. Besides they are very relaxed over here when it comes to weed. They already legalized it in so many states, so they are mostly looking for harder drugs. Plus you only hear about our service through the grapevine, so our secret stays within the boundaries of a well-selected stoner circle.
How does the whole enterprise work, on a day-to-day basis?
If I want to do deliveries, I have to text my boss before 11 A.M. to let him know. Shortly after, he texts me back, letting me know what area I am supposed to cover. I usually do Brooklyn. I grab my bike, take the stuff, and off we go.
I have to text my boss after every drop with two numbers: The first one stands for the amount of money I’m carrying with me, the second one for the amount of drops I have done so far.
What if your agency suddenly calls about a casting call in the middle of the day?
It’s not really a problem if a casting call suddenly comes up, as I am always carrying my lookbook with me. It has already happened a couple of times, but the bike helps me move fast so I have never missed an appointment. It’s just weird to stand in front of the fashion client with all that money and weed in my backpack.