
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!