Fortunecookie, I have to disagree with what you said in your post. It's not that I'm accusing you of mis-truths, I'm sure you're only repeating what you've been told.
Actually, it's not what I've been told, these particular teens are kids I've known for years, and their parents (some my peers), too. These kids perpetrating these crimes are only a small number of the kids smoking pot, whether occasionally or regularly. Perhaps I should have added that.
In my real life, I've been involved in combating this type of enterprise for years, most kids who smoke pot give the habit up after a few years, particularly once they get into carreers paths and whatnot. Most normal kids would avoid getting involved in any type of situation you mention, the risks are far too high, both legally and personally.
And I agree, that of these kids 'busted' for further activities other than 'personal use' or 'posession', were indeed outsiders, whether well off or poor.
Coming from a family that is well to do and involved in their kids lives is not a guarantee that a young person won't get into trouble, on the contrary, when these kids do break the law, it is usually indicative of something far more serious going on within the family unit.
I didn't mean to imply that, I guess knowing him, I was really shocked. You know, 'good family' and all that. I agree, I think you're right that something must have been going on inside their family, but for that teen from that family to be involved so deeply, it was a shock to a lot of people. The family is well off, but they were also considered a 'good' family, that was the shock, but I guess it always is in that case.
Also, heroin is extremely, extremely difficult to cultivatel in North American climates, nor does it do well in a greenhous stting.
LOL, wow, I'm didn't catch that, I'm really having an off day! I didn't mean to imply that they intended to grow heroin, merely peddle it. I guess it was misleading the way I typed it.
I certainly don't mean to brow-beat you. I understand where you're coming from. I'm always very concerned when young people get involved in drugs, but much much more concerned with youth who find themselves suddenly in the drug trade. For some, it's a concious decision, for others, a step into their worst nightmares. I've spent twenty years dealing with youth crime and in particular young people and the drug trade. I've gained enough of an understanding to even relax my views on pot ( I'm already ducking under my desk from the flames that are sure to come). However, pot is much like alcohol, most young (and not so young) people handle it well but some don't. It is far far easier to deal with than the crystal meth problem which is fast becoming the drug of choice amongst young people. If it hasn't hit your area, it likely soon will and I would urge you to educate yourself on it. It has the potential to bury crack-cocaine as the drug of choice simply on cost alone.