Vanessa Gregoriadis

If I wanted to know more about this brave new world of weed, Eddie was the guy to learn from. Because of all the people working in this milieu in West Hollywood, there was none that felt bigger than Eddie. He ran a lot of the most popular pot shops in the city, and he was a friendly guy. He had brown hair that was cut short and big, doe-ish brown eyes.

If I wanted to know more about this brave new world of weed, Eddie was the guy to learn from. Because of all the people working in this milieu in West Hollywood, there was none that felt bigger than Eddie. He ran a lot of the most popular pot shops in the city, and he was a friendly guy. He had brown hair that was cut short and big, doe-ish brown eyes.

Like, really big brown eyes that were emotional. even though the way he talked was not emotional at all. The whole thing was very Andrew McCarthy, circa Less Than Zero. As we chatted, I learned that Eddie was from the valley where air-conditioned malls and blow-dried hair rain, where there's a million tanning salons, but also the kind of sun outside that shrivels and orange.

Like, really big brown eyes that were emotional. even though the way he talked was not emotional at all. The whole thing was very Andrew McCarthy, circa Less Than Zero. As we chatted, I learned that Eddie was from the valley where air-conditioned malls and blow-dried hair rain, where there's a million tanning salons, but also the kind of sun outside that shrivels and orange.

And he liked to use phrases like, in this industry, we're just Americans using good Yankee know-how. Eddie was a fascinating mix of earnest and also hardcore capitalist. He liked saying things like, the biggest risk to the weed business is the stoner mentality. Meaning laziness, I guess. He was kind of a weed yuppie.

And he liked to use phrases like, in this industry, we're just Americans using good Yankee know-how. Eddie was a fascinating mix of earnest and also hardcore capitalist. He liked saying things like, the biggest risk to the weed business is the stoner mentality. Meaning laziness, I guess. He was kind of a weed yuppie.

And his entrepreneurial spirit, his energy, his excitement about the business, it was almost infectious. You couldn't help but get excited right along with him. So we talked for a while outside, but then when I went to go into the store, he said no. I could not come into his store because I needed a card. He didn't want to take my money here and then like any drug dealer.

And his entrepreneurial spirit, his energy, his excitement about the business, it was almost infectious. You couldn't help but get excited right along with him. So we talked for a while outside, but then when I went to go into the store, he said no. I could not come into his store because I needed a card. He didn't want to take my money here and then like any drug dealer.

Not without a medical marijuana card, which was some sort of permit to smoke pot. This whole little episode, it reinforced to me that he was a straight on the level guy because he was adamant about it. So I seriously had to get into the Beamer yet again.

Not without a medical marijuana card, which was some sort of permit to smoke pot. This whole little episode, it reinforced to me that he was a straight on the level guy because he was adamant about it. So I seriously had to get into the Beamer yet again.

and head over to some doctor's office, which I recall as being very white, with a few people hanging out, like a low-rent real estate office in a mini mall, but also smelling a lot like burning incense. Here's Kevin Booth, the documentary filmmaker, again.

and head over to some doctor's office, which I recall as being very white, with a few people hanging out, like a low-rent real estate office in a mini mall, but also smelling a lot like burning incense. Here's Kevin Booth, the documentary filmmaker, again.

The whole thing was kind of a joke. I mean, medical marijuana? Come on. But it worked. I got my prescription, which was a piece of paper printed out from Microsoft Word, because doctors back then were scared to use their regular prescription pads for medical marijuana. And I hightailed it back to the shop and back to Eddie, who finally walked me into his store.

The whole thing was kind of a joke. I mean, medical marijuana? Come on. But it worked. I got my prescription, which was a piece of paper printed out from Microsoft Word, because doctors back then were scared to use their regular prescription pads for medical marijuana. And I hightailed it back to the shop and back to Eddie, who finally walked me into his store.

And it was just as Kevin had described. All the pot in little bottles, everything with stamped logos. Eddie led me through this wonderland of Grape Ape and OG Kush, a bunch of women presiding over the whole thing. It really didn't disappoint. And neither did Eddie. As he toured me around, he talked about his past jobs as a teacher and at a consultancy firm.

And it was just as Kevin had described. All the pot in little bottles, everything with stamped logos. Eddie led me through this wonderland of Grape Ape and OG Kush, a bunch of women presiding over the whole thing. It really didn't disappoint. And neither did Eddie. As he toured me around, he talked about his past jobs as a teacher and at a consultancy firm.

Eddie was proactive in his late 20s with a mathematical mind. He wasn't a stoner himself, never sold weed on the street, but now Eddie was a real king for the day. He was approaching his business like a real business because he had dreams that went beyond just making a buck. Eddie was forging a new path in a new frontier, just like the gold rushers who came before him.

Eddie was proactive in his late 20s with a mathematical mind. He wasn't a stoner himself, never sold weed on the street, but now Eddie was a real king for the day. He was approaching his business like a real business because he had dreams that went beyond just making a buck. Eddie was forging a new path in a new frontier, just like the gold rushers who came before him.

And just like those gold rushers, this was the Wild West. So what if you occupied a legal gray zone? Eddie was going after the American dream here. He was full of ideas on how to make it, ideas that would increase his sales even more. One of those ideas, he was looking into making THC breath strips.

And just like those gold rushers, this was the Wild West. So what if you occupied a legal gray zone? Eddie was going after the American dream here. He was full of ideas on how to make it, ideas that would increase his sales even more. One of those ideas, he was looking into making THC breath strips.