Short Story Reviews: Mysteries Gone to Pot

The legalization of marijuana still amazes me. I'm of the age that remembers when people went to prison for possession of marijuana. In Colorado now, there are shops on nearly every corner sporting the telltale green cross. I am all for legal medical marijuana, but beyond that, I'll stay out of the controversy. An undeniable benefit of the federal versus state dilemma on marijuana is the plethora of plots it provides to fiction authors.

One contribution to marijuana literature come from David M. Hamlin, in the April 2018 Mystery Weekly Magazine. Hamlin's story opens in California with a police detective giving helpful advice to a new marijuana shop owner. There are plenty of issues with running a business that is legal according to state law, but illegal on the federal level. Hamlin presents the issues as part of an entertaining plot.

​Two weeks ago, I reviewed Michael Bracken's story in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (March/April 2018), where a reluctant getaway driver is forced back into service. The target of the heist is a marijuana dispensary. While this plays as a subplot, it demonstrates how authors are finding new ideas for stories based on the issues surrounding the legalization of marijuana.

We've come a long way from Reefer Madness, the over-the-top propaganda movie presenting the dangers of marijuana smoking. Many short story and novel authors have explored the interesting plot twists the quasi-legal condition of marijuana provides. If you've written, or enjoyed reading, a marijuana-themed mystery, leave a comment!

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