WEBVTT 1 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:20.679 Yo, what's going on? Everybody? 2 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:22.960 Welcome to a new episode of My Canicass. I'm canad 3 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:24.199 Dave and I'm Gving. 4 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:25.079 I hope you like that. 5 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:29.160 Intro to that video, we have the CEO and founder 6 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:32.479 Ryan Basore on from Redemption Cannabis and thank you for 7 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:33.079 joining us today. 8 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:34.200 Ryan, it's a pleasure to have you on. 9 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:36.039 Thanks for having me. Guys. 10 00:00:37.960 --> 00:00:40.200 Hey, I'm excited to dive into your story, dive into 11 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:45.280 your brand and everything about Redemption, your guys' foundation and 12 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.039 possibly becoming an MSO or you ready are an MSO, 13 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:50.119 but talking about the process of it. 14 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:53.000 But before we jump into all that, let's jump. 15 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:55.679 Into brief overview of your journey and what got you 16 00:00:55.719 --> 00:00:57.479 into cannabis and starting Redemption. 17 00:00:57.560 --> 00:00:57.799 Ryan. 18 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:03.039 I'll give you the short version. 19 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:07.680 But I grew up in a small little town outside 20 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:09.280 of Lansing called Dansville. 21 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:11.560 It was related to everybody grew up on a farm. 22 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:14.040 And I was about eleven. I fell off a tractor 23 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:15.599 in the middle of winter and I threw my hips 24 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:19.159 out real bad and after about six months, we have 25 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:19.959 a lot of problems. 26 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.359 I got prescribed three flex arols a day. 27 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:25.959 As an eleven year old, and I was that stuff, 28 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:30.840 and I was twelve, almost thirteen, I discovered week and 29 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:34.000 I did you know, it did everything the flexer I 30 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.719 was supposed to do with those side effects, so, you know, 31 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:40.159 being related to everybody mean in sports, being in academics, 32 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:40.959 I had to hide my. 33 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:43.879 Weed usage all throughout high school. It was just a 34 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:44.359 weird thing. 35 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:47.079 So I quickly became I knew it was medicine, and 36 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:50.159 I quickly became suspect to the government on that aspect. 37 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:53.519 I was considered quite a conspiracy theorist back then. But 38 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:55.840 fast forward to two thousand and eight. You know, we 39 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:59.719 passed the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act and I quickly became 40 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.480 of the states first patients and caregivers. In two thousand 41 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:05.040 and nine due to my you know, my back issues, 42 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:09.919 and I was still in the you know, finance industry 43 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:14.000 at the time doing well. Was high every day, enjoying it, 44 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:18.120 and they provoned and learned to grow in a couple 45 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:23.000 of basements in Lancing. But it was early twenty ten 46 00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:26.319 that I decided to kind of relieve all that behind 47 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:28.759 and go completely in. This is what I was going 48 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:30.919 to do the rest of my life. Like I love business, 49 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:33.039 I love weed, and this. 50 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:33.879 Was it like it was? 51 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:34.400 It was? 52 00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:37.639 It was awesome. So I helped up the second dispensary 53 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:38.680 in Lansing. 54 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:42.680 It was Bay seventh twenty ten, Capital City Caregivers. 55 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:46.240 It was the first one on Michigan. Have and Danny Tubno. 56 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:50.080 At the first one Hydro World, and then at the 57 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:54.039 same time we set up three caregiver girls in Okamus, Michigan. 58 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:56.879 And it was with some business associates I knew and 59 00:02:57.000 --> 00:02:59.479 some family members and at the time we got the 60 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:04.560 state police, the local police, ridda township, Eam County Prosecutor 61 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:08.240 Dunnings all the sign off on it being legal, and 62 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:10.280 then we had a couple of attorneys drawn up and 63 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:13.039 we were off and running that summer in twenty ten. 64 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:15.719 It was pretty pretty amazing summer in Lansing. 65 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:19.319 That's when Lansterdam was born, and a lot of great 66 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:23.039 memories from that. But at that same time I had started. 67 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:25.919 I got invited into a group called Cannabis Patients United, 68 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:29.000 and I started lobbying at the state level. I was 69 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:32.919 in going the Grand Homes work group in twenty ten, 70 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:36.719 and that's when I met people like Rick Thompson, Jamie Lowell, 71 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:37.319 Tim Beck. 72 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:39.439 That's when we all kind of. 73 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:41.560 Got going there and a lot of the other chuck 74 00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:45.000 ring and then then we started the Michigan Association Passion 75 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.919 Centers later that year, and I went around the state 76 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:51.240 and recruited dispensary owners. 77 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:52.960 Who had, you know, the balls to open up in 78 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.000 little pockets of the state, and we all kind of 79 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:56.000 worn together. 80 00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:59.800 But it was it was December first, twenty ten. I 81 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:02.960 got raided at the Caregiver Grow by the state police 82 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.120 that that had approved it, but then got rided by 83 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:09.400 the ATF, the DA, the FBI, and the National Guard. 84 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:13.360 So the military National Guard came in. 85 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:19.000 A grand home called in the National Guard Legal Caregiver Grows. 86 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:20.519 It was just fourteen years ago. 87 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:24.759 It was pretty wild, like the National Guard, but. 88 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:27.199 It is I tell you, I go around and talked 89 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:30.439 to bud tenders at different stores and tell them stories, 90 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:32.720 and you know, they some of the younger kids don't 91 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:36.279 remember what it was like when we wasn't legal, you know. 92 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:39.000 And now there's a gym and the apartments in the 93 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:41.600 restaurant where we got raided, so it's. 94 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:42.480 All all gone to. 95 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.360 But you know, that was before the robot aquirement and 96 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:50.360 that passed in twenty fourteen, which defunded the DA to 97 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:52.959 a dollar in legal states. That's what protects us now, 98 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:57.120 So I was outraged. I continued to grow at the 99 00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:00.519 house and we kept the dispensary open and followed by 100 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:04.639 blackhawks every day for about two years. 101 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:05.360 And family did. 102 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:07.920 I got pulled over about eight times, I counted off 103 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:11.240 the record, shaken down and had some chitnuk over over 104 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.319 over my house at times for thirty minutes, just working 105 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:14.759 with me. 106 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:18.759 And uh, you know, we just kept going and eventually. 107 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:26.360 Eventually the United State Western District Attorney hadn't been appointed yet. 108 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:29.319 Obama's guy was being held up at the time by 109 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:33.839 the Republicans, and in twelve he finally got approved. And 110 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:36.639 his name is Pat Miles Junior, and a federal attorney 111 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:39.000 who was I thought we'd be you know. We called 112 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:41.079 him up and said, hey, he's gonna let us go 113 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.240 with the law school and Obama come on Obama and 114 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:46.319 Holder on TV in two thousand and eight said he 115 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:48.600 wasn't going to rate anybody, so he told him no, 116 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:51.519 this is a high profile case. And then that next 117 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:54.040 day I got raided. Were really bad at my house 118 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:55.879 for the final time, so I was down in the 119 00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:58.680 basement I had eat a bunch of edibles. I remember 120 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:01.399 watching Michigan State Bass about some friends coming home and 121 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:05.800 open up the door and red dots all over my body. 122 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:09.240 There's a couple of times that's happened, and that was it. 123 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:13.040 They uh stress, Yeah, And about three weeks later, we 124 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:15.959 got indicted, seven of us, including my now brother in 125 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:19.079 law and father in law, and uh, you know, I 126 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:20.160 was about to fight it. 127 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:23.079 I didn't understand how the federal court system worked. 128 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.199 And percent of the people that get indicted in the 129 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:28.800 Western District of Michigan get are guilty. 130 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:30.959 They'll they'll punish you. 131 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:32.920 You need to have millions and millions of dollars to 132 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:35.639 even think about fighting it. They can, they can throw 133 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:39.120 everything at yourself. I was the last person to plead guilty. 134 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:39.680 Uh. 135 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:43.399 They were coming at me with a deal I could. 136 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:47.319 If I did plead guilty that week, I was going 137 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:49.279 to get four years. But if I if I didn't 138 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:51.680 plead guilty, they get I get five to ten. And 139 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:53.600 they were going to indict my now wife too, who 140 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:55.040 had helped us on some stuff. 141 00:06:55.079 --> 00:06:58.279 So well, I would saying, what does your wife have 142 00:06:58.360 --> 00:06:58.720 to do it? 143 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:02.000 Well, she was in somehow he went to come and 144 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:06.160 helps here and there. My father in law, he got 145 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:09.800 indicted and he literally was just hanging out sweeping, sweeping up. 146 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:13.120 Well, that's crazy. They were just trying to get everyone involved. 147 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.480 They were just it was wild times back then. 148 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:18.839 I mean sounds like when Dave got like not obviously 149 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:20.519 not similar, but when Dave got raided, he was just 150 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:22.560 managing a dispo and they just assumed because he was 151 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:24.600 there every day, he must be making all this money. 152 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:26.519 So they just raided everyone left, right, they took it. 153 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:27.639 They raided his house too. 154 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:30.279 Yeah, I didn't have the National Guard, by the FBI, 155 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:31.079 the DEA. 156 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:33.839 I had all the letter boys at the HESSE. 157 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:35.720 I just I don't really even imagine. 158 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:39.839 I got raided on July tenth, twenty fifteen. I was 159 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:43.360 working at Advanced Medical Supply on Shelby Township. I was 160 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:47.839 toltal was illegal operation. Obviously, nothing at the time was legal, right. 161 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.800 It was mostly just for the caregivers. And I was 162 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:52.279 lied to by the ownership and I was just a 163 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.319 bud tender, painting my way to get through college. And 164 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:57.600 like Gruvey said that, they had my name up and 165 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:00.759 next to the owners and they came a man like 166 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.600 you said, guns a blazing, like I'm sixteen to the face. 167 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:06.160 I was literally but tending an older lady and they 168 00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:08.399 like pretty much put her to the ground and it 169 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:10.279 was like and I was like I'm done, and then 170 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:12.600 can coff. I was on the New all that ship, 171 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:13.920 So like, I get what you're saying. 172 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:14.240 I didn't. 173 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.120 God, you didn't finish because you ended up going to jail. 174 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:18.759 I would like to talk about that as well too. 175 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:20.319 I didn't. I didn't have that. 176 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:22.160 It was just crazy when you hear when when you 177 00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:25.639 said the red dots on you, it just reminded me 178 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:28.240 of like guns of blazing, like they're just pointing guns 179 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.879 at these people growing weed. That's insane, Like they're just 180 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:34.919 assuming you're this like cartel drug dealer when you're just 181 00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:37.679 like a family man growing some weed. So that I 182 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.519 just that's that's crazy to me. Yes, you went to jail. 183 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:43.639 Yeah, they knew I was a kid. I went the 184 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:45.600 ice store that was on the SWAT team. They all knew, 185 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:49.080 they knew I was. I was good natured country country 186 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:51.600 boy at the time. Whatever when they come and that 187 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:53.200 those are their tactics. 188 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:54.240 You know that's crazy man. 189 00:08:54.759 --> 00:09:00.200 Yeah, But I see I went down there and you 190 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:03.360 and uh I did two and a half years is. 191 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:06.320 I did the behavior modification program. It's called art app. 192 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.200 It's pretty intense. So I was in there with like 193 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:11.919 I can I ca tell people it's like a survivor 194 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:15.559 meets real real world meets bad Girls Club all in one. 195 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:17.320 And uh, you know, I. 196 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:21.759 Got no fun. No might make good TV, but it 197 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:22.639 sounded horrible. 198 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:29.559 There was the US Senator in my there was pins, 199 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:33.039 there was everybody in between, guys that around American greed 200 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:36.120 and you name it. Some of the biggest comments in 201 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:38.759 the world too that you find out and you know, 202 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:41.440 there was a plenty of stories of that, but. 203 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:45.720 Man, that's crazy. You went through all that, you know, 204 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:47.320 and now look where the industry is. 205 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:49.879 You know, yeah, people. 206 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:52.000 Got that guy got busted with like a thousand pounds. 207 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:53.200 I got like a misdemeanor. 208 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:53.559 You know. 209 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:55.759 Yeah, it's been a lot of that. 210 00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:56.720 You know. 211 00:09:56.840 --> 00:09:59.360 You're just like, I'm sure you looking back, You're just 212 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:01.440 like what the you. 213 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:04.840 Know, like, well, I think about it now, like what 214 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:07.799 the numbers that we do you know legally, and it's 215 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:09.120 just like it's wild. 216 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:11.080 But you know, I went into it. It was going 217 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:11.559 to happen. 218 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:13.440 I knew it was going to happen, so I just 219 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:15.600 looked at it kind of like as a crucible moment 220 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.639 in my life. I could complain and you know, and 221 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:20.960 feel sorry for myself. But I went in there and 222 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:24.559 I've read book after book after book. I lost seventy 223 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:27.919 five pounds I was in. I was an incredible shape, 224 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:31.080 and you know, just now, just discipline for two and 225 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:32.960 a half years. Every day I did exactly what I said 226 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:33.600 I was going to do. 227 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:37.960 Your story in Redemption, like that is a beautiful name 228 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:40.720 because of your story is such a redemptive from where 229 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:42.759 you It's not where you've come from. Now that I've 230 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:45.120 heard your story, it's just so crazy to see how 231 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:47.519 far you've come with your braind and everything. In Redemption 232 00:10:47.639 --> 00:10:51.840 is a beautiful name for that, because I cannot. I 233 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:54.200 guess one thing I have to ask going through something 234 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:58.480 so traumatic, how did it? Like, Yeah, how do do 235 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.399 you think it's affected your perspective of like going into 236 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.919 this industry? Like like, I mean, how did it affect you? 237 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:06.080 Because I obviously affect your perspective, but like, how do 238 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:08.600 you think this experience affected you? 239 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:11.240 You know, Well, I went in and I, like I said, 240 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:13.279 I looked at it as like when I was in prison, 241 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:16.080 I was studying I've always loved I loved business. I 242 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.399 was studying branding, market like everything in there. I was like, 243 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.000 I'm going to get out, and I just couldn't be 244 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:22.919 for not you know. I was like, all right, I'm 245 00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:25.000 going to have this. I kind of could foresee the 246 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.120 future like where we're at today, Like and I'm going 247 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:30.639 to have this thing that that you know, it's it's 248 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:34.600 it's it's unique and it really happened. It's authentic, and 249 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:37.360 you know, how do I deal with it? So I 250 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:40.159 never blamed anybody. It was about six months in there 251 00:11:40.200 --> 00:11:42.639 I stopped being bitter and let it all go and 252 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:44.440 just said, all right, let's let's get after it. 253 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.879 Let's get going. And I got out fifteen. 254 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:51.519 And uh halfway house in Camma Zoo a bit home 255 00:11:51.559 --> 00:11:54.320 confinement at my parents because i'd land contract with my homes. 256 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:57.639 But I taught myself to build websites in there by 257 00:11:57.639 --> 00:12:01.200 reading books about it, and I was working like selling 258 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:03.399 apps and like I got a bunch of clients right 259 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:06.519 when I got out that were marijuana dispensaries, that were 260 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:10.559 open law firms, you know, just hustling, really hustling legally, 261 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:15.360 you know, and same clean and then one of my 262 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:17.879 clients and I got right back into my legal lives 263 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:23.000 on the first the first run when we had twenty sixteen, 264 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:25.639 we ended up having enough signatures, but it was too late, 265 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:28.759 and I did all the marketing and helped them with 266 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:31.759 the website, so I was involved behind the scenes. And 267 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:35.440 then on seventeen January twenty seventeen janu I got my approbation. 268 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:37.679 I was supposed to do eight years and they only 269 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:39.639 made me do one. And I got a little bit 270 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:41.559 of apology from the judge. That was part of it 271 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:43.039 when I got sentenced. 272 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:45.720 Was that law changes with it, because like everything coming 273 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:48.679 in twenty eighteen was just you had a good judge. 274 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:50.279 I'm just more curious, good lawyer. 275 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:58.960 I had an expensive Yeah, lawyers pretty dam between the 276 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:02.000 two of us, we probably about a half a million dollars, 277 00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:04.360 you know, just just to get not even make it 278 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:06.960 take it to trial. And that's why, you know, we 279 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:09.960 put guilty at the same time. And it really like 280 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:11.480 but yeah. 281 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:17.000 They man, I just I can't that's a mind going. Sorry. 282 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:19.279 They gave me eight years, and the prosecutor was pissed. 283 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:21.159 I was only getting pods. The judge when I went 284 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:23.159 to She's like, hey, come back out, don't get in 285 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:25.799 any trouble, and I like off early and she kept 286 00:13:25.799 --> 00:13:28.960 her words. So but right when that happened, you know, 287 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:31.120 I was we had passed them in f l A. 288 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:34.279 I'm a felon. I can't legislature passed it. I can't 289 00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:36.120 be a part of it. When I was hustling, I 290 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:40.639 started a company and we were opting in municipalities with 291 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:42.519 a new law, and then I was kind of going 292 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:45.000 in the around the back and locking up properties and 293 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:49.399 flipping them. Uh, you know, dispensaries before, So. 294 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:51.600 You know, just hustling away. 295 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:57.480 You know this times, especially a couple of those, you know, 296 00:13:57.639 --> 00:13:59.720 nobody knew they were going to be dispensaries, so you 297 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:00.399 play that game. 298 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:02.240 So I learned a lot about real estate that way. 299 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:03.960 But I was doing a lot. 300 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:07.679 Of consulting also for big cannabis companies coming into Michigan, 301 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:10.480 and most of them aren't here anymore because it's it's 302 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:12.720 a tough you know, part of the toughest market in the country. 303 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:15.759 Yeah, there was some turnover, man, there's definitely some turning brands. 304 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:16.600 I believe it. 305 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:19.960 And so in seventeen, something pretty crazy, like you know, 306 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:24.000 everything's going good. Prop one is going to happen, and 307 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:28.759 my league guys combining forces with the Marijuana Policy Project. 308 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:30.200 You know, we're gonna get it done. We're going to 309 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:32.480 get it passed. We got the whole money behind us. 310 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:35.919 And then I found out that Pat Miles Junior, the 311 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:39.200 guy who indicted me and my family that came in 312 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:43.720 with Obama's guide, he when Trump, uh, when Trump got elected, 313 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:47.320 he was out and uh, and then you know he 314 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:49.279 was gonna he was basically picked. 315 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:50.799 To be the next attorney general in Michigan. 316 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:56.360 So he had the National Party, the State Democratic Party 317 00:14:56.840 --> 00:14:59.159 had the U A W. 318 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:02.480 I mean, it was supposed to be uh a done deal. 319 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:04.519 And I kind of freaked out because I knew, like, 320 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:06.159 this is going to be our attorney general. 321 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:08.279 And I still had a lot of a lot of 322 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:11.279 kind of maybe get back, maybe a little bit of 323 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:17.799 avenge left in me. I wanted to get so Davia meet. 324 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:22.000 And you know, he was against weed and we were 325 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:23.600 about to legalize that for the industry. 326 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:26.279 But Dana and NSSA called me right when she she 327 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:28.799 announced she was running a met her in Panera on 328 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.840 Brighton for about three hours, and she convinced me, and she's, 329 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:34.639 you know, it's going to make my case kind of 330 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:37.559 like the whole you know, paid focal point one of 331 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:41.360 them of the primary, of the Democratic primary. So I 332 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:43.519 was in and I quickly got involved and raised a 333 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:47.000 lot of money and you know, like pretty soon there 334 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:50.080 it's like m Live articles, you know, the Michigan Public Radio. 335 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:53.360 They were all talking about the Democratic grace and Danid 336 00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:57.480 was climbing quick. She's very charismatic and brilliant and went 337 00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:00.360 around the state and had a good plan, but you know, 338 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:01.919 like it was getting pretty wild there. 339 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:04.919 I even got a call from someone inside the party said. 340 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.840 That, hey, if if he wins, you got to leave 341 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:08.240 the state. 342 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:11.159 Like they're there, they're they're coming after it. So I 343 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:11.840 got stressed. 344 00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:19.039 Probably I started drinking a little too much at that point. Yeah, 345 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:21.679 So I was you know, that was you know, that 346 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:24.600 was at the end of eighteen and Bill shooting had 347 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:30.080 been terrorizing us for years and uh yeah, and it 348 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.399 was it was all at the same time. So the 349 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:36.440 Democratic primary was in April of twenty eighteen, and it 350 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:38.080 was in Cobo, and we went down there. It was 351 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:40.240 a snowstorm. It was supposed wasn't supposed to be. But 352 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:43.000 it was like a freaking like I don't know, college 353 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:46.240 football SEC game. It was raucous, like people we were 354 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:49.600 doing and screaming, and then uh, you know, uh, Dana 355 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:51.559 came out. I was up front, data came out. She 356 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:53.919 hugged me, said we won. And then Pat Mount Jr. 357 00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:56.320 Had to give his concession speech and I and I 358 00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:59.879 stood right there on the stairways and after he gave. 359 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:01.919 It, had to come right down and had blocked them 360 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.480 and basically said what's up. And he got. 361 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:06.839 On the stage and celebrated and and then so that 362 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:10.440 was awesome. And then uh and then you know, we 363 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:13.000 we uh helped her raise more money and she ended 364 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:13.440 up winning. 365 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:18.400 We prop one past shooting was gone, and uh, you know, 366 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:19.440 we were we off. 367 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.759 You know, it was that I was actually the head 368 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:26.240 of her on a transition team, so we helped. 369 00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:28.200 We analyzed all the cases. 370 00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:29.920 I got a bunch of lawyers, We analyzed all the 371 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:32.279 cases that shooting were prosecuting at the. 372 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:34.000 Time under the medic Marijua Act. And we did a 373 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:34.799 lot of good with that. 374 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:37.839 So that was cool, man, And then not the threats 375 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:40.599 and everything else. After the threat very it. 376 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:42.160 Was like walking into a new world. 377 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:45.759 Like Dan was elected, I'm no longer being chased legal 378 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.799 legal shooting is gone, and now I'm like friends. 379 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:52.680 With the a g you know, mind blowing like fulls 380 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:56.759 like full you know, it's damn it was. 381 00:17:57.559 --> 00:17:58.440 It was pretty wild. 382 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:01.279 And you know, my part of problem was, you know, 383 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:04.519 a lot of my friends are on the writing committee, 384 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:06.599 was you know, make sure that marijuana felons are allowed, 385 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:11.000 and then we get kind of celebrated and discounts. So 386 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:13.000 so at that time it was a little longer, but 387 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:14.000 I might as well get into it. 388 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:17.240 And at the time, my good friend Robin Schneider, we've 389 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:18.519 been I met her. 390 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:21.440 I opened up Capal City Caregivers intent, she opened up 391 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.279 cap the City Compassion Club, you know, and we started 392 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:27.359 working together on a lot of stuff and at the legislature, 393 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:29.119 and she had been with a National Patient and NPR 394 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:31.759 and she's like, we got to start a you know, 395 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:35.200 the association because there's you know, there's about five ten 396 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:38.319 big companies at times, the MCMA trying to get it 397 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:38.880 to where. 398 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:40.680 We were going to get knocked out when this law passed, 399 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:41.119 and you can do. 400 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:44.160 It in lane Duck and you know, so we formed 401 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:46.279