Some people snitch because they don't have the balls. Personally, I had one friend snitch, and I never had respect for him any more. I've had handful of others do their time. The ones who did their time told me that most of the people who snitch end up in prison anyway, and they have a much more unpleasant experience as most know they snitched. It's best to take what you have coming. However, that was not gear related. Either way, they are all victimless and non-violent crimes, in my opinion. No one ever had to convince me to put gear into my body or anything else. It was my choice. Who the F* is the gov't to tell me what to put in my body! Unless, I trample on someone else's right (eg. go into a rage and hurt them), then stay the F* out.
I have not bothered with the "non-gear related stuff" for over 10 years, but do what you will unless you are endagering someone else. The estimates of people in U.S prisons today for drug related, non-violent offense and what it will be in 2015 (25%... f* 1/4 of the pop.) at a cost of 50 Billion dollars. If you want to smoke some "ganja" or take a reasonable amount of a hard drug, leave people the hell alone.
And with gear, I do not no what the F* the motivation is. This shit does not hurt anybody, unless they are a Pro using way more than they should, or they have to buy questionable gear becasue they are forced to, seeing as how they have made it as illegal as crack.
nolanchart.com/article3237-nonviolent-offenses-leads-united-states-to-worlds-highest-incarceration-rate.html