I suppose you could call me the idea lady.  As a student at the University of California, Davis, I was assigned a paper that provoked some serious contemplation on how drug policy affects everyday life.  More than that, I started comparing my life with the lives of friends from my youth.  As of right now, I am a productive and valued member of my community.  I am a college graduate, a social worker, and an advocate.  At 27, I would say I'm proud of where I am.  Eight years ago, though, I smoked meth.  That's all I did; day and night my life was consumed with getting high and running scams for drug money.  The first time I tried meth I was 12 years old.  By the end of my addiction, I was a junkie through and through.  I committed crimes, went to juvenile hall, the whole nine.  But then something magical happened... I moved.  When I was 19, I moved to Fort Bragg, CA with a guy I'd been dating for two weeks.  He invited me to go, and completely on impulse, I went.  While I was up there, I went through withdrawal, and at some point before I found drugs, I decided I didn't want to do them anymore.  I didn't intend to quit, it was a fluke.  When I think about how some of my old friends live now that they are clean, I see a dramatic difference between us.  Many of them live in low income apartments surrounded by people who are still using.  They can't get jobs, they have difficulty feeding their children, they are denied the American Dream of upward momentum.  These are people who quit using drugs just a few years after I did and currently follow all the rules, smart people with a lot to offer.  What's the difference between them and me?  They got caught, I didn't.  I did not make better choices than my friends, but because I don't have a record as an adult, I experience little or no ill consequences from my addiction.  I was able to simply walk away, never hindered by my former habit.  So now I'm making a movie to answer the question: "Why does the bad luck of getting caught bring down your life with such permanence?"

For questions or comments email phaney@pamcakesproductions.com

For more information about the subject matter or my story... READ MY BLOG! :)

I am dude man Richard.  Since my dreams of future jobs are in movie magic, Pam came to me with her idea.  And it was awesome!  So I've been pointing the camera and giving advice about stylistic things and whatnot.  But I am the behind the scenes guy, so that's really all you need to know right now.

To contact me, email rarcuri@pamcakesproductions.com

Hmmm, what can i say about myself. I am a 22 year old college student who has a passion for film. Pam came to me about her idea for the documentary, and as someone who is open to all ideas relating to film, i agreed to help. Now i grew up in a suburban neighborhood with no real understanding of drugs or the drug culture. So when Pam explained the concept for the film I was a bit intrigued, interested in learning about who the people behind the drugs really are. In the time we've spent talking to people on the streets, my perception of who they are and why they are there was totally turned upside down. I have come to appreciate them more so than i ever had before. . So for me at this point, a big reason for me to stick with this project is so we can show people the truth about these people, and hopefully open the eyes of the country and inspire people to do more to help them.

To chat me up, you can contact me at sfletes@pamcakesproductions.com