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This week on "Vice":
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The amazing new progress in
restoring sight to the blind.
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I think I saw something flash.
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It's really, really weird.
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That's okay, don't worry.
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Would you advise someone
to have that surgery?
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Honestly, I wouldn't
recommend it.
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It can make you feel crazy.
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And then, big business is taking
over the marijuana industry.
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It's so enormous. I can't even
see the edges of the room.
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It's the biggest tsunami ever to hit
the world, in my lifetime, of money!
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Sync & corrections by honeybunny
www.addic7ed.com
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Modern medicine has made
incredible advances
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in restoring eyesight, thanks
to cutting-edge technology
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and a revolution in
cost-efficient materials.
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And that could mean
a total transformation
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for millions of visually impaired
people desperate to see again.
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♪ ♪
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The white, cloudy,
substance you're seeing
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is the cataract,
which is a cloudy lens,
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so I'm just very gently teasing
the lens until it's free,
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and now we're going
to remove it from the eye.
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Ooh, that's it?
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That is the cataract,
and it is gone.
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That's incredible that you can just
get rid of it in a matter of seconds.
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Stage one is getting
the cataract out.
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Stage two is getting
the new lens in.
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And I put it in the exact same
place where the cataract was.
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So no stitches needed,
and I'm done.
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Wow. That was
incredibly quick.
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Very quick.
That was insane.
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Onto the next one.
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Around 19 million people in the world
are blind because of cataracts,
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and that number is disproportionately
high in developing countries,
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which is why we're in Ethiopia.
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Traditionally, if you become
blind in a country like this,
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then that's pretty much it,
you're blind for life.
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But we're here to see an intervention,
which is hoping to change all that.
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Dr. Matt Oliva is part of the
Himalayan Cataract Project,
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an NGO working tirelessly to eradicate
blindness in developing countries.
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Blindness in Ethiopia is a
death sentence, it really is.
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And it's a social problem,
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it's a human suffering problem,
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and it's an economic problem.
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All the supplies for one
case that we need cost under $20.
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While I've been working here,
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the staff has been getting
the next patient ready,
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and it's back and forth,
back and forth all day long.
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For each eye, the surgery
can be as fast as five minutes.
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How many surgeries are you
actually able to do every day?
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Probably do about 70 today.
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And Dr. Oliva is just one
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of four doctors operating
on 700 patients
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over the course of a week.
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The speed at which these guys
are working is insane.
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It's almost like a factory line.
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The recovery time is quick
as well, less than 24 hours.
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This is the best moment
of every morning,
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is getting ready
to take the patches off
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and see all our hard work
from yesterday.
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Whoa, these are--
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This is everyone
who had surgery yesterday?
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These are all 200 people.
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What do you think those 200
or so patients are going through
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when you first take off
those bandages?
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I think it's
overwhelming for most patients.
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Some of these people
have been blind 10 years,
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sometimes even 15 years,
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so there's sort of
an adaptation problem,
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and you can see it
in their faces,
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where there is sort of
a slow reestablishment
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of the neural pathways
in the brain.
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This is literally one of the most
amazing things I've ever seen.
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In, like, a matter of seconds
those bandages come off
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and their entire lives
are completely transformed.
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This cataract surgery
is now widely available
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in the developing world
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because of a revolution
in low cost materials.
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And it's just one of a wave of promising
new advances in restoring sight.
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And that could mean radical change
for people like Anthony Andreottola.
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Anthony is an addiction
counselor in Boston.
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A progressive condition called
retinitis pigmentosa
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has left him completely blind.
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It was in my late 30s when I lost
the ability to recognize faces.
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I considered that when I crossed
the line of being blind, yeah.
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And how did it impact,
like, everyday life?
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Being independent,
traveling is a real big deal.
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I go back and forth
to work by myself,
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and, uh, that sometimes
can be a challenge.
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You see some
blind people with a cane,
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they're like ballerinas
going down the street.
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I'm not. I go kind of slow.
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Oh, I'm so sorry,
I did not see you.
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It's okay. That's all right.
I'm so sorry.
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No problem.
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These hybrid cars now,
they're much quieter.
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They can really sneak up on a
blind person crossing the street.
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But it's--
it's just part of life.
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A part of life that
he's hoping will soon change
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because in a few days, Anthony will be
one of the first few hundred patients
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to receive the Argus II, the first
retinal implant approved by the FDA.
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We met with Dr. Robert Greenberg,
chairman of Second Sight,
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which manufactures the device.
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The Argus II is available for a
disease called retinitis pigmentosa.
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It's a small pill-sized device
that goes in and around the eye,
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coupled with a pair of glasses
that have a video camera.
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So here we've got the camera that's picking
up the signal in front of the patient.
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That signal is going to the processor
that you have in your hands.
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That processed signal is going
up to the antenna
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and the signal is getting sent wirelessly
to the implant in and around the eye.
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The retina is like
a multi-layered cake,
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and in the retinitis
pigmentosa patients,
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the bottom layer of the cake,
those photoreceptors are dead.
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But the upper layer of the cake and the
cable going back to the brain are intact.
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And we're essentially replacing
those photoreceptors.
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To the brain, this signal is coming
from the retina as far as it knows.
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It's like the screen has broken,
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but the computer inside
is still working.
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Exactly. The best description
of what they see
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is something like a crude
black and white television.
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Blurry levels of gray,
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but it's enough
for people to get around.
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It's enough for people
to see a loved one,
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and it's life-changing
for a lot of folks.
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We went with Anthony
to Johns Hopkins Hospital
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where he had
the device implanted.
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So they've just put him to
sleep, so the surgery can begin.
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Okay. We're ready
for the device.
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This is what goes
inside the eye.
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Dr. Handa's just attaching
the actual device now,
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and then wrapping it around with a
sort of belt to keep it in place.
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- Those little dots there are the
60 electrodes? - Correct.
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It's incredible that what looks like
this tiny little piece of plastic
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could possibly give the gift of
sight back to someone's eye.
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So now I'm putting
it into the eye.
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Wow, so you can actually
see the device going in.
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All right.
Everything good?
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Yeah. So, when will you
turn the device on?
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Probably in about a month or so.
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Then he has to learn how to see.
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Mm-hmm.
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But learning to
see will be a challenge.
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The Argus II is only a
second-generation technology,
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and at this early stage the images
it transmits are rudimentary.
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Whoa. Okay.
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So, this is what
people with Argus II see?
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Yes, this
is our best approximation.
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I can see black
and white shapes.
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That was my shoulder.
This is your face.
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Yup.
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It really is a case
of learning how to see
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in a different
way then, isn't it?
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It is. It's learning
how to see again.
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And it's really crude vision.
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Expectations are
really important,
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and one of the worst things
that could happen would be
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if a patient went into the surgery expecting
to see perfectly when they came out,
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and then they're likely
to be disappointed.
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A month later, Anthony
returned to Johns Hopkins.
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How are you feeling about
getting this device turned on?
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I guess I'm hoping
not to be disappointed.
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But I guess
any improvement's gonna be...
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it's gonna be meaningful.
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The first step for Anthony
is testing and calibrating
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the strength of the 60 individual
electrodes in his implant.
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Ready?
Yeah.
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Here we go.
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I think I saw something,
like, flash.
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Okay. Here's
another one.
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Yeah, I saw something
else then, too.
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That's okay, don't worry.
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Does it feel weird?
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It's like this eye,
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but I feel like
I see it over here.
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It's really, really weird.
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After a night's rest,
Anthony returned with his daughter
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to finally have the device
fully powered on.
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I think we're ready.
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What do you see?
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I see stuff, like...
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There, you're picking up
Dr. Handa.
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This is a white coat.
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Something going like this.
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So, that's easier.
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Yeah.
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What's up, kid?
Nothing.
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I just got an image of you
right over here.
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Look up and tell me if you
can see the ceiling lights.
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Right there.
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Okay, now keep looking,
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and see if you can pick up
more of the ceiling lights.
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Right there.
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Yeah, there's
another one, right.
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Do you feel like
it could be useful?
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Is it like, the greatest
thing in the world,
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to have, you know,
this limited vision?
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00:11:06,297 --> 00:11:07,713
I can't say yet,
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00:11:07,832 --> 00:11:10,549
but I think it's better than
not having it at all.
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Although the Argus II shows
promise for patients like Anthony
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00:11:14,305 --> 00:11:16,055
who once had vision and lost it,
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00:11:16,174 --> 00:11:20,509
some experts are warning that for all the
advances we've made in fighting blindness,
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we haven't actually stopped to consider
what it means to restore sight
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00:11:24,599 --> 00:11:26,399
to someone who's never
had it at all.
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Dr. Ione Fine is a psychologist
at the University of Washington,
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who studies how blindness
affects the brain.
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00:11:33,191 --> 00:11:37,159
In the case of someone who is born blind
and has been blind all their life,
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their visual system is very different
from that of someone with normal vision,
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and restoring vision is going to result in
a very different perceptual experience.
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She's talking
about people like Marti,
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who's been blind since birth.
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00:11:48,539 --> 00:11:52,208
At the age of 42, she began
a series of surgeries
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00:11:52,293 --> 00:11:56,512
that reconstructed her iris, and implanted
a new lens into one of her eyes.
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00:11:56,597 --> 00:12:00,383
She now has vision just below
the threshold of legally blind,
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00:12:00,518 --> 00:12:03,052
enough for her
to begin painting.
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00:12:03,938 --> 00:12:05,554
I don't know which one this is.
216
00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,058
This is a lot of specks,
and you can see the sky.
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00:12:09,143 --> 00:12:10,893
Oh, wait a minute.
218
00:12:11,029 --> 00:12:12,862
Is this one...
219
00:12:12,947 --> 00:12:14,647
Does it look like an ocean?
220
00:12:14,732 --> 00:12:18,651
There's a lighthouse.
You see a lighthouse?
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00:12:18,736 --> 00:12:20,319
Uh...
A little bit?
222
00:12:20,405 --> 00:12:22,905
Is it in the distance?
Mm-hmm.
223
00:12:23,041 --> 00:12:25,374
Oh, wait a minute.
224
00:12:25,460 --> 00:12:26,659
Holding it the wrong way?
225
00:12:26,744 --> 00:12:28,461
I think we're holding it--
Yeah. Makes more sense.
226
00:12:28,579 --> 00:12:30,546
You can turn it different ways
to make it what you want.
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00:12:30,631 --> 00:12:34,216
But while Marti is now trying
to make her way in the sighted world,
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00:12:34,302 --> 00:12:37,219
her transition out of total
blindness wasn't easy.
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00:12:37,305 --> 00:12:40,006
What was your immediate
reaction after the surgery?
230
00:12:40,091 --> 00:12:41,974
Ugh, I wanted to die.
231
00:12:42,093 --> 00:12:44,760
So what does that say?
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00:12:44,846 --> 00:12:48,681
The brain wouldn't shut off.
It was just... overload.
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00:12:48,766 --> 00:12:51,767
Did other people have expectations?
Oh, yeah.
234
00:12:51,853 --> 00:12:53,769
They felt like...
235
00:12:53,905 --> 00:12:55,321
That it was so wonderful,
236
00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:57,857
and I could just get up and
walk around and be fine.
237
00:12:57,942 --> 00:13:01,277
And people say, "Well, shut
your eyes and do things blind,"
238
00:13:01,362 --> 00:13:04,246
but it's-- you can't do that.
It's a big difference.
239
00:13:04,332 --> 00:13:06,949
When I was blind,
I didn't see black.
240
00:13:07,035 --> 00:13:10,252
And now, when I shut
my eyes, I see black.
241
00:13:10,338 --> 00:13:12,755
It's not the same
as being blind.
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00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,675
Would you advise someone who was
in the same situation as you
243
00:13:16,794 --> 00:13:18,294
to have that surgery?
244
00:13:18,429 --> 00:13:20,296
Honestly, I wouldn't
recommend it.
245
00:13:20,431 --> 00:13:21,597
Why?
246
00:13:21,682 --> 00:13:24,633
Because when you live a certain
way for so many years,
247
00:13:24,769 --> 00:13:27,436
and you're adjusted to life
and everything around you,
248
00:13:27,522 --> 00:13:30,139
and then all of a sudden
there's a change like this,
249
00:13:30,224 --> 00:13:32,391
it can make you feel crazy.
250
00:13:34,112 --> 00:13:36,479
If people are blind
early enough in life,
251
00:13:36,614 --> 00:13:38,230
they do in fact
lose the ability,
252
00:13:38,316 --> 00:13:41,200
or never gain the ability to
make sense of the visual world.
253
00:13:41,319 --> 00:13:43,986
And we think that perhaps one
of the reasons that happens
254
00:13:44,122 --> 00:13:47,156
is that the back of the head
starts responding to other senses,
255
00:13:47,291 --> 00:13:49,408
like audition and touch.
256
00:13:49,494 --> 00:13:51,827
It becomes specialized
to help blind people
257
00:13:51,963 --> 00:13:54,997
make their way through the world
using these other senses.
258
00:13:55,133 --> 00:13:57,917
That can be a huge problem
if sight is ever restored.
259
00:13:58,002 --> 00:14:03,639
And maybe putting our efforts into
making the world easier for blind people
260
00:14:03,724 --> 00:14:05,591
to navigate
and be independent in
261
00:14:05,676 --> 00:14:08,811
is at least as valid as trying
to fix them and be like us.
262
00:14:08,896 --> 00:14:11,680
Even so, for those
desperate to see again,
263
00:14:11,766 --> 00:14:14,850
the technology we've developed
can be life-changing.
264
00:14:14,986 --> 00:14:16,685
Hi.
Hi.
265
00:14:16,771 --> 00:14:18,104
Can you see me?
Yeah.
266
00:14:18,189 --> 00:14:19,605
I can see your shape.
Hi.
267
00:14:19,690 --> 00:14:21,240
How are you doing?
Good.
268
00:14:21,359 --> 00:14:24,243
We met up with Anthony three months
after his implant was turned on,
269
00:14:24,362 --> 00:14:26,028
to see how he's adapting.
270
00:14:26,164 --> 00:14:28,364
Can you see these
people walking past?
271
00:14:28,449 --> 00:14:29,365
Yup.
272
00:14:29,450 --> 00:14:30,616
That's good.
273
00:14:30,701 --> 00:14:33,702
I still have to
use my cane to navigate,
274
00:14:33,788 --> 00:14:36,288
but it does work.
I can see you.
275
00:14:36,374 --> 00:14:41,877
And I feel more involved
in what's going on around me.
276
00:14:41,963 --> 00:14:44,930
That was a truck, a big truck,
a bus or something. Yeah.
277
00:14:45,049 --> 00:14:49,218
Rather than being totally blind,
I have, like, visual cues
278
00:14:49,303 --> 00:14:52,188
that I didn't have,
that I lost years ago.
279
00:14:52,273 --> 00:14:54,273
I see it as a start.
280
00:14:54,392 --> 00:14:56,392
There's a lot more advances,
281
00:14:56,527 --> 00:15:00,312
but until that day comes, you
know, this is as good as it gets
282
00:15:00,398 --> 00:15:02,648
so I'm, I'm grateful.
283
00:15:02,733 --> 00:15:05,784
♪ ♪
284
00:15:07,371 --> 00:15:11,407
Marijuana legalization is gaining
huge momentum across the country.
285
00:15:11,542 --> 00:15:14,043
But it isn't just pot smokers
who are celebrating.
286
00:15:14,128 --> 00:15:17,413
Big business is also investing
heavily in this hot new market.
287
00:15:17,498 --> 00:15:20,132
And if the current trend
in legislation continues,
288
00:15:20,251 --> 00:15:24,170
it seems that they're going to realize
a huge return on their investment.
289
00:15:24,255 --> 00:15:26,839
♪ ♪
290
00:15:32,263 --> 00:15:35,931
Okay, guys, if this is your first
marijuana tour, which I'm assuming it is,
291
00:15:36,067 --> 00:15:38,184
thank you for coming
to Colorado Cannabis Tours.
292
00:15:38,269 --> 00:15:40,550
We're gonna go ahead and get
you started with some joints.
293
00:15:40,605 --> 00:15:44,857
This is what the end of
marijuana prohibition looks like.
294
00:15:45,993 --> 00:15:48,027
Now that marijuana
is legal in Colorado,
295
00:15:48,112 --> 00:15:51,447
companies like Colorado Cannabis Tours
are cashing in on the excitement.
296
00:15:51,532 --> 00:15:56,202
$99 for the ticket,
$20 for an artisanal pipe,
297
00:15:56,287 --> 00:15:57,920
two dollars for the cupcake,
Thank you.
298
00:15:58,005 --> 00:16:00,839
However much money for the weed
they bought at the last location,
299
00:16:00,958 --> 00:16:03,342
how much money they're gonna
spend at the next location.
300
00:16:03,461 --> 00:16:05,421
This is the team building
portion of the exercise.
301
00:16:05,463 --> 00:16:08,547
If you can help your neighbor
light that at the other end.
302
00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:11,183
Oh!
303
00:16:11,302 --> 00:16:12,384
Who's next?
304
00:16:12,470 --> 00:16:15,554
We're about to go
into a... into a dispensary.
305
00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,223
Is this it?
Is this the...
306
00:16:17,308 --> 00:16:18,641
Oh, okay.
307
00:16:18,726 --> 00:16:20,976
Okay. I'm off
to the dispensary.
308
00:16:21,112 --> 00:16:25,030
We are much further along
than I ever imagined us to be.
309
00:16:25,149 --> 00:16:28,150
Andrew Freedman is the
Director of Marijuana coordination
310
00:16:28,236 --> 00:16:29,818
in the Colorado
governor's office.
311
00:16:29,904 --> 00:16:33,289
There are more dispensaries
than there are Starbucks.
312
00:16:33,374 --> 00:16:35,824
We estimated the size of
the industry in its first year
313
00:16:35,910 --> 00:16:37,493
to be about 700 million,
314
00:16:37,578 --> 00:16:40,379
and now we think it tops
one billion dollars
315
00:16:40,498 --> 00:16:43,082
as an annual revenue source.
316
00:16:44,835 --> 00:16:47,419
What makes this
massage different?
317
00:16:47,505 --> 00:16:49,054
This massage is different
318
00:16:49,173 --> 00:16:53,142
because our massage cream is
infused with THC and CBD.
319
00:16:53,227 --> 00:16:56,762
All right, I think I'll try
the extra strength.
320
00:16:56,847 --> 00:16:57,980
Great choice.
321
00:17:01,686 --> 00:17:04,486
Is that pressure okay?
Yeah.
322
00:17:04,572 --> 00:17:08,691
Maybe it was the extra strength
THC oil, but I started to wonder,
323
00:17:08,776 --> 00:17:11,410
where is all
this weed coming from?
324
00:17:13,281 --> 00:17:17,666
I'm standing in what may be Colorado's
largest cannabis grow operation.
325
00:17:17,752 --> 00:17:19,702
It's so enormous,
326
00:17:19,837 --> 00:17:24,123
I can't even see the edges of the
room from where I'm standing.
327
00:17:24,208 --> 00:17:26,208
Look at what we've created here.
328
00:17:26,344 --> 00:17:27,876
I mean, is this something?
329
00:17:28,012 --> 00:17:31,013
This is John Seckman,
the COO of LivWell.
330
00:17:31,098 --> 00:17:33,299
This is the most exciting
thing I've ever done.
331
00:17:33,384 --> 00:17:36,719
It's a business, and it's
a new exciting business.
332
00:17:36,854 --> 00:17:41,473
The other thing I'll tell you is I voted
against the legalization of marijuana.
333
00:17:41,559 --> 00:17:44,560
You voted against
the legalization of cannabis?
334
00:17:44,695 --> 00:17:47,696
Yes. I figure
we have enough vices.
335
00:17:47,782 --> 00:17:50,399
One more wasn't gonna
make the world any better.
336
00:17:50,534 --> 00:17:51,900
Have you tried it?
No.
337
00:17:52,036 --> 00:17:53,485
Really?
Never.
338
00:17:53,571 --> 00:17:56,238
And I don't intend to.
339
00:17:56,324 --> 00:17:58,374
I couldn't tell you
what it tastes like
340
00:17:58,459 --> 00:18:01,243
or something special
about a certain plant.
341
00:18:01,329 --> 00:18:04,747
I just-- You know, it's just
not something I understand.
342
00:18:04,882 --> 00:18:08,584
It's a product. This is
a manufacturing facility.
343
00:18:08,719 --> 00:18:13,138
We're not making Ford cars,
we're making marijuana.
344
00:18:13,257 --> 00:18:16,592
Companies like LivWell are
giving marijuana a corporate makeover,
345
00:18:16,727 --> 00:18:19,428
and that has some long-time
weed growers on edge.
346
00:18:21,682 --> 00:18:23,682
Mike and Wendy have
grown pot for decades,
347
00:18:23,768 --> 00:18:25,567
and they push for the right
to do it legally.
348
00:18:25,653 --> 00:18:27,770
But as more big players
get into the business,
349
00:18:27,905 --> 00:18:30,072
the small-time farmers
who started the movement
350
00:18:30,157 --> 00:18:31,824
are having trouble competing.
351
00:18:31,942 --> 00:18:34,109
Snip out the very tip top of it.
352
00:18:34,195 --> 00:18:35,744
What strain is this?
353
00:18:35,830 --> 00:18:38,163
This is Purple Train Wreck.
354
00:18:38,282 --> 00:18:41,417
This is one that will
help your appetite.
355
00:18:41,502 --> 00:18:44,336
If we renew our vows
at sometime in the future,
356
00:18:44,455 --> 00:18:48,290
I'm going to use these as a
bouquet walking down the aisle.
357
00:18:52,763 --> 00:18:56,882
1974. That's when I
planted my first pot plant.
358
00:18:56,967 --> 00:19:01,270
I baby these girls, each and
every one of them every year.
359
00:19:01,355 --> 00:19:02,855
I mean, look at that thing.
360
00:19:02,973 --> 00:19:04,356
This is enormous.
361
00:19:04,475 --> 00:19:06,141
It's over 10-foot tall.
362
00:19:06,277 --> 00:19:09,311
It's a massive plant, for sure.
363
00:19:09,397 --> 00:19:13,449
You get these big outfits coming in,
it's just gonna ruin it for everybody.
364
00:19:13,534 --> 00:19:16,118
Like Starbucks. Or Walmart.
365
00:19:16,203 --> 00:19:21,323
They move into a city and you can just
watch and see how many stores go down.
366
00:19:21,459 --> 00:19:23,208
They're going to pull the rug
right out from under us,
367
00:19:23,327 --> 00:19:25,077
and we're gonna be left
flat on the floor.
368
00:19:25,162 --> 00:19:27,746
While farmers like Mike and
Wendy are beginning to feel the heat,
369
00:19:27,832 --> 00:19:30,332
the big guys are just
getting started.
370
00:19:30,418 --> 00:19:33,335
We went to Washington
to meet the competition.
371
00:19:33,421 --> 00:19:35,671
I'm standing outside
Privateer Holdings,
372
00:19:35,806 --> 00:19:38,090
a cannabis oriented
private equity firm
373
00:19:38,175 --> 00:19:42,511
that recently received the largest infusion
of cash in the history of cannabis.
374
00:19:42,613 --> 00:19:44,413
Five years ago,
in the cannabis industry
375
00:19:44,515 --> 00:19:46,355
there were no leaders,
there were no standards.
376
00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:50,185
What was lacking were professional,
mainstream companies
377
00:19:50,321 --> 00:19:55,691
that could change the typical stigma
associated with the industry.
378
00:19:55,826 --> 00:19:58,827
I flew with Brendan
to his facility in Canada
379
00:19:58,913 --> 00:20:00,829
to see what the industry
looks like in a country
380
00:20:00,915 --> 00:20:04,366
where medical marijuana
is legal nationwide.
381
00:20:06,203 --> 00:20:07,586
Welcome to Tilray.
382
00:20:07,705 --> 00:20:12,541
Tilray is a 26 million dollar
high-tech cultivation facility
383
00:20:12,676 --> 00:20:16,211
that's positioning itself to corner
the market on weed production.
384
00:20:16,347 --> 00:20:20,549
So, they're still, you know, six
weeks away from being harvested.
385
00:20:20,634 --> 00:20:22,718
How many rooms of this
do you have?
386
00:20:22,803 --> 00:20:27,723
There's essentially 36
like this.
387
00:20:30,728 --> 00:20:33,061
How much does it cost
to run all these lights?
388
00:20:33,147 --> 00:20:38,200
Annual electrical costs are in
excess of two million dollars.
389
00:20:39,620 --> 00:20:42,404
This is a vault door
similar to a bank vault.
390
00:20:42,540 --> 00:20:45,324
It's a solid steel door.
391
00:20:49,046 --> 00:20:53,582
All of these materials are essentially
ready for sale and distribution.
392
00:20:53,667 --> 00:20:58,637
You're starting to see the emergence
of mainstream, professional companies
393
00:20:58,756 --> 00:21:03,175
that are trying to compete
with those illegal producers.
394
00:21:03,260 --> 00:21:05,928
That's one of the reasons
for ending prohibition.
395
00:21:07,398 --> 00:21:09,231
Legalization's
only just beginning,
396
00:21:09,316 --> 00:21:12,267
but we're already seeing the effect
it's having on small farmers.
397
00:21:12,353 --> 00:21:17,189
Jeff and Gwen have been growing marijuana
here in Mendocino County for decades.
398
00:21:17,274 --> 00:21:20,442
The price of cannabis
has plummeted.
399
00:21:20,528 --> 00:21:23,028
But if this is your
primary means of income,
400
00:21:23,113 --> 00:21:25,330
you must have felt the impact
of this price change?
401
00:21:25,449 --> 00:21:29,785
Oh, yeah. I used to be able to
afford some help in the garden.
402
00:21:29,870 --> 00:21:31,620
I cannot afford that now.
403
00:21:31,705 --> 00:21:35,457
I would hate to think that all
of us who've risked everything
404
00:21:35,543 --> 00:21:38,377
paving the way to make
the herb available
405
00:21:38,462 --> 00:21:40,629
wouldn't have a slot
in the future.
406
00:21:40,714 --> 00:21:43,465
To me, that would be very sad.
407
00:21:43,517 --> 00:21:45,133
Um...
408
00:21:45,269 --> 00:21:46,802
But it remains to be seen.
409
00:21:46,937 --> 00:21:51,056
But in some states, the
future is already being written.
410
00:21:51,141 --> 00:21:55,694
In New York State, medical
marijuana was legalized in 2014,
411
00:21:55,813 --> 00:21:58,697
but only five companies are
allowed to grow and sell it.
412
00:21:58,816 --> 00:22:04,486
One of the five permits went to 24-year-old
Hillary Peckham of Etain, LLC.
413
00:22:04,622 --> 00:22:08,156
We're gonna have about
13,000 square feet
414
00:22:08,242 --> 00:22:10,492
of greenhouses in
this initial building.
415
00:22:10,628 --> 00:22:12,461
Hillary's dad, John Peckham,
416
00:22:12,546 --> 00:22:16,748
is the CEO of a massive construction
conglomerate called Peckham Industries.
417
00:22:16,834 --> 00:22:20,302
My family
business is 91 years old.
418
00:22:20,387 --> 00:22:21,887
Mostly government contracts,
419
00:22:22,006 --> 00:22:26,058
and so we had a lot of experience with
how New York government programs work.
420
00:22:26,176 --> 00:22:29,511
Could you tell me about
the application in detail?
421
00:22:29,647 --> 00:22:33,565
Yeah, the application was a
$10,000 fee just to submit.
422
00:22:33,684 --> 00:22:39,187
And then, as well, $200,000
that you had to submit,
423
00:22:39,273 --> 00:22:41,907
but it was refundable if you
were not given the license.
424
00:22:42,026 --> 00:22:47,029
We expect to probably invest somewhere
between six to eight million
425
00:22:47,114 --> 00:22:48,530
in the startup period.
426
00:22:48,666 --> 00:22:51,033
You know, a lot of the
biggest players right now
427
00:22:51,168 --> 00:22:53,285
are people with really
serious business backgrounds,
428
00:22:53,370 --> 00:22:57,255
and it's made some of the people feel like
they're being pushed out of the game,
429
00:22:57,374 --> 00:23:00,092
that there's no room for
the mom-and-pop grower.
430
00:23:00,210 --> 00:23:03,879
It's definitely where
the industry is moving,
431
00:23:04,014 --> 00:23:05,631
is towards mass consolidation.
432
00:23:05,716 --> 00:23:08,634
They're gonna start buying
up licenses in other states
433
00:23:08,719 --> 00:23:10,602
and just consolidate
into one major brand,
434
00:23:10,721 --> 00:23:13,639
and so you'll start seeing that
as more states come online.
435
00:23:13,724 --> 00:23:16,191
Would you sell your company
if that became an opportunity?
436
00:23:16,276 --> 00:23:18,226
I wanna be one of
those companies.
437
00:23:18,312 --> 00:23:21,980
Although it takes a ton of
cash to get a license in New York,
438
00:23:22,066 --> 00:23:24,900
at least there's
an application process.
439
00:23:24,985 --> 00:23:28,570
In Ohio, where legalization
was on the ballot in November,
440
00:23:28,656 --> 00:23:32,207
the corporations tried to
choose the winners in advance.
441
00:23:34,411 --> 00:23:36,578
Welcome aboard
the Green Rush Bus Tour,
442
00:23:36,714 --> 00:23:41,416
part of a campaign to convince
Ohioans to vote yes on legalization.
443
00:23:41,502 --> 00:23:44,419
We're gonna try
and legalize marijuana.
444
00:23:50,811 --> 00:23:52,177
This is Buddie,
445
00:23:52,262 --> 00:23:54,346
the face of a multi-million
dollar endeavor
446
00:23:54,431 --> 00:24:00,018
designed behind closed doors to benefit
10 hand-picked investor groups.
447
00:24:01,522 --> 00:24:04,072
And as Ohio representative
Mike Curtin told us,
448
00:24:04,158 --> 00:24:06,942
a plan like this one would
set a dangerous precedent.
449
00:24:07,027 --> 00:24:09,277
It would create a monopoly
in the state constitution
450
00:24:09,413 --> 00:24:15,117
by expressly giving 10 owners of
10 sites, 10 farms, essentially,
451
00:24:15,202 --> 00:24:18,036
the exclusive, constitutionally
sanctioned ability
452
00:24:18,122 --> 00:24:22,424
to grow, process, and sell
marijuana for commercial purposes.
453
00:24:22,509 --> 00:24:24,793
Why do you think they did this?
454
00:24:24,878 --> 00:24:26,628
To make a ton of money.
455
00:24:26,714 --> 00:24:29,131
This has no place
in the Ohio constitution.
456
00:24:29,266 --> 00:24:31,516
It has no place
in any state constitution.
457
00:24:31,635 --> 00:24:33,755
The constitution's supposed
to protect all the people.
458
00:24:33,804 --> 00:24:35,353
They're trying
to protect 10 guys.
459
00:24:35,472 --> 00:24:38,190
And those 10 are
the same 10 that put in
460
00:24:38,308 --> 00:24:40,358
millions of dollars
to fund the campaign.
461
00:24:40,477 --> 00:24:44,112
This is a tidal wave
moving so fast,
462
00:24:44,198 --> 00:24:47,733
it's gonna shock the world to see
what the United States just did.
463
00:24:47,818 --> 00:24:49,985
Alan Mooney was one of them.
464
00:24:50,070 --> 00:24:51,653
Not one human being
on the planet Earth
465
00:24:51,789 --> 00:24:54,489
has ever seen a tsunami of this
magnitude moving at this speed.
466
00:24:54,625 --> 00:24:59,578
That's why Wall Street's still going, "It
ain't real. Oh my God, it ain't real."
467
00:24:59,663 --> 00:25:03,832
It's the biggest tsunami ever to hit
the world, in my lifetime, of money.
468
00:25:03,967 --> 00:25:07,052
What about the fact that only
10 growers can participate?
469
00:25:07,171 --> 00:25:09,387
People are calling it a
monopoly Oh my gosh, this is--
470
00:25:09,506 --> 00:25:11,306
or an oligopoly.
To the voting public of Ohio,
471
00:25:11,341 --> 00:25:13,558
that makes zero difference
to the voter.
472
00:25:13,677 --> 00:25:16,678
You know why? They want this
100% controlled and taxed.
473
00:25:16,764 --> 00:25:18,430
Then why are they written
into the amendment itself?
474
00:25:18,515 --> 00:25:21,266
Why isn't it something they
apply for like in New York?
475
00:25:21,351 --> 00:25:23,551
Would you rather let the
politicians make that decision?
476
00:25:23,604 --> 00:25:27,272
Sir? Sir? Or would you rather let
private capitalists do that?
477
00:25:29,159 --> 00:25:32,527
I'm a capitalist. Blue blood.
I love America. I love Ohio.
478
00:25:32,663 --> 00:25:35,914
I am a capitalist,
and I'm not ashamed of it.
479
00:25:36,033 --> 00:25:38,834
The amendment became
a flash point in Ohio,
480
00:25:38,919 --> 00:25:42,087
and this time, legalization
went down hard on election day.
481
00:25:42,206 --> 00:25:45,040
Voters here in Ohio
overwhelmingly decided against
482
00:25:45,175 --> 00:25:47,759
a constitutional amendment
to legalize marijuana.
483
00:25:47,878 --> 00:25:49,845
The decision came after
months of controversy
484
00:25:49,930 --> 00:25:53,131
and debate about the group
backing the legislation.
485
00:25:53,217 --> 00:25:54,549
But the campaign showed
486
00:25:54,635 --> 00:25:57,185
that capitalists like Mooney
are trying to call the shots
487
00:25:57,221 --> 00:25:59,554
as legalization
sweeps the country.
488
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,057
Twenty-three states have
legalized medical marijuana,
489
00:26:02,142 --> 00:26:06,228
and four states plus DC have
ended prohibition entirely.
490
00:26:06,313 --> 00:26:09,030
At least 21 other states are
gearing up to do the same.
491
00:26:09,116 --> 00:26:13,401
All this has made marijuana the
fastest growing industry in America.
492
00:26:13,537 --> 00:26:17,789
And researchers predict that if
marijuana's legalized in all 50 states,
493
00:26:17,908 --> 00:26:21,793
revenue could reach
$35 billion per year.
494
00:26:21,912 --> 00:26:24,296
But just like when alcohol
prohibition ended,
495
00:26:24,414 --> 00:26:26,081
big business is dominating,
496
00:26:26,166 --> 00:26:29,801
and small farmers are still being
treated like illegal bootleggers.
497
00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:31,753
Sheriff's
office, search warrant!
498
00:26:31,839 --> 00:26:33,722
Demanding entry!
499
00:26:33,807 --> 00:26:37,309
The Humboldt County Sheriff's
Department suspected this local farmer
500
00:26:37,427 --> 00:26:39,227
had violated state regulation,
501
00:26:39,313 --> 00:26:41,813
so they confiscated
his entire crop.
502
00:26:41,932 --> 00:26:46,184
Profiting from the cultivation
of marijuana is illegal.
503
00:26:46,270 --> 00:26:51,690
And it's a lot easier to cut
down, you know, 130 plants
504
00:26:51,775 --> 00:26:53,942
than it is 13,000 plants.
505
00:26:54,077 --> 00:26:56,661
This is what was found
in this room.
506
00:26:56,780 --> 00:26:59,114
Each of these is
at least two pounds.
507
00:26:59,199 --> 00:27:02,868
Who these people are and
what kind of lives they live
508
00:27:02,953 --> 00:27:05,253
has no factor
in what I'm gonna do.
509
00:27:05,339 --> 00:27:07,172
'Cause it's my job.
510
00:27:07,291 --> 00:27:11,009
The property owner, who believed
he was following the letter of the law,
511
00:27:11,128 --> 00:27:13,795
returned to find his entire
garden destroyed.
512
00:27:13,881 --> 00:27:17,382
To date, Barry hasn't been
charged with any crime.
513
00:27:17,467 --> 00:27:20,218
But small farmers like him
are easy targets,
514
00:27:20,304 --> 00:27:23,688
and they're only one raid away
from financial ruin.
515
00:27:23,807 --> 00:27:25,974
I don't understand that.
Why me?
516
00:27:26,059 --> 00:27:29,144
You know, I'm so small compared to
what these other people are doing.
517
00:27:29,229 --> 00:27:30,729
You know, it just doesn't
make sense to me.
518
00:27:30,814 --> 00:27:33,782
Caught between the
machetes of law enforcement
519
00:27:33,867 --> 00:27:35,650
and the bank accounts
of businessmen,
520
00:27:35,786 --> 00:27:39,654
the small-time growers are going
to have to fight to survive.
521
00:27:39,740 --> 00:27:44,743
I had such a dream of being able
to grow legally my whole life.
522
00:27:44,828 --> 00:27:47,829
We're kind of hanging on
by our fingertips,
523
00:27:47,965 --> 00:27:52,000
but we're gonna fight. We're gonna fight
for our place all the way to the end.
524
00:27:52,135 --> 00:27:54,002
Will you do it again?
525
00:27:54,087 --> 00:27:55,337
I doubt it.
526
00:27:55,472 --> 00:27:59,140
I doubt it. It's just,
you know, why bother?
527
00:28:01,296 --> 00:28:09,296
Sync & corrections by honeybunny
www.addic7ed.com