The Battle Over Marijuana Headed To Reality TV In ‘Weed Country
The Discovery network is ready to shine a light on the world of the North California marijuana trade in the new reality series Weed Country. The six-part series will follow the growers, dealers, and law enforcement officers involved in the illegal marijuana industry centered in the quickly spreading area known as “The Emerald Triangle.”
The show is essentially about the “drug war” between weed growers who are constantly searching for scientific advancements to make stronger grade of weed and the cops who are on a mission to shut them down.
With the marijuana trade being an estimated $50-100 billion dollar industry in the US alone, the show will also examine the turf battles between the independent growers, and the struggles and triumphs of being in the weed business.
The legalization of cannabis has become a political hot button issue over the last several years with a lot of the prevailing trends leaning toward making marijuana legal for adults.
There are currently 20 states (including the District of Columbia) that allow the use of marijuana in some form. The most notable being Colorado and Washington whose citizens voted last November to allow persons over 21 years of age to purchase and consume cannabis for recreational use – the first such laws in the nation.
Just this week Democratic lawmaker Mike Manypenny presented legislation in the West Virginia House of Delegates to legalize medical marijuana that would allow patients with a doctor’s prescription to purchase cannabis at dispensary centers or grow up to 12 plants in their home. And in Michigan Republican Michael Callton offered a bill that would allow local communities to regulate dispensaries for medical marijuana patients.
While there has been a lot of movement toward pro-cannabis legislation at the state level, marijuana is still an illegal substance according to federal laws. A statement on the official White House Office of National Drug Control Policy website page states:
Regardless of state laws to the contrary, there is no such thing as “medical” marijuana under Federal law.
… persons who are in the business of cultivating, selling, or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of Federal law, and are subject to Federal enforcement action, including potential prosecution.
Discovery appears to be trying to capitalize of this ongoing national tug-of-war over weed policy through the microcosm of reality television. There’s still a question whether the millions of people who are advocating for weed legalization will turn into loyal viewers of that battle playing out on a t.v. show.
Weed Country debuts this Wednesday, February 2oth at 10 pm on Discovery.
