Vanessa Gregoriadis

I mean, taking those gelatinous scotch tape thingies that Listerine makes and putting oil from marijuana trim on them, then selling it with a sticker reading, for medical use only, which I thought was a pretty clever idea. You could get $5 or $6 a strip. Eddie was full of big dreams. He was here in West Hollywood, the cuddliest, most progressive, gayest neighborhood in all of L.A.

I mean, taking those gelatinous scotch tape thingies that Listerine makes and putting oil from marijuana trim on them, then selling it with a sticker reading, for medical use only, which I thought was a pretty clever idea. You could get $5 or $6 a strip. Eddie was full of big dreams. He was here in West Hollywood, the cuddliest, most progressive, gayest neighborhood in all of L.A.

And it felt safe. Here's a local city councilman in West Hollywood even talking about how the neighborhood was so open to marijuana stores.

And it felt safe. Here's a local city councilman in West Hollywood even talking about how the neighborhood was so open to marijuana stores.

As welcoming as this gay oasis seemed to be to Eddie and some little weed dispensaries, the federal government still considered possessing and selling this medicine 100% illegal, even if it came from a dispensary. And the state government didn't like it too much either. And to be fair, most people still didn't see marijuana as real medicine, even some of the people with prescriptions.

As welcoming as this gay oasis seemed to be to Eddie and some little weed dispensaries, the federal government still considered possessing and selling this medicine 100% illegal, even if it came from a dispensary. And the state government didn't like it too much either. And to be fair, most people still didn't see marijuana as real medicine, even some of the people with prescriptions.

Kevin Booth, the filmmaker.

Kevin Booth, the filmmaker.

Here's how the business worked. Most of the medicine was grown up north, in Humboldt County, on these giant farms that stretched towards the Redwoods. These were the wholesalers. The wholesalers, or middlemen, or drivers, would transport the weed down to L.A., about 11 hours, and then dispensary owners, like Eddie, would buy marijuana from them.

Here's how the business worked. Most of the medicine was grown up north, in Humboldt County, on these giant farms that stretched towards the Redwoods. These were the wholesalers. The wholesalers, or middlemen, or drivers, would transport the weed down to L.A., about 11 hours, and then dispensary owners, like Eddie, would buy marijuana from them.

I met one of the guys involved in this. I'll call him Sam. He was the inverse of Eddie's weed-yuppie vibe. Where Eddie was clean-cut and in a button-down and chinos, Sam sort of looked like a wildling from Game of Thrones. He spoke multiple languages. He knew how to make leather bags. He was a great cook. He religiously read The New Yorker.

I met one of the guys involved in this. I'll call him Sam. He was the inverse of Eddie's weed-yuppie vibe. Where Eddie was clean-cut and in a button-down and chinos, Sam sort of looked like a wildling from Game of Thrones. He spoke multiple languages. He knew how to make leather bags. He was a great cook. He religiously read The New Yorker.

And when he'd been in Europe, he'd traveled to Amsterdam, where he bought a bunch of seeds.

And when he'd been in Europe, he'd traveled to Amsterdam, where he bought a bunch of seeds.

And up north, lots of people were planting seeds, getting started in the business.

And up north, lots of people were planting seeds, getting started in the business.

Sam said the pot grown up north, then sold in the south to guys like Eddie with weed stores in L.A., became part of an underground crisscrossing the whole state of California, up and down, because you were not under any circumstances allowed to take the pot grown in California out of California. It had to be sold here, because once it left the state, it wasn't medicine anymore. It was a felony.

Sam said the pot grown up north, then sold in the south to guys like Eddie with weed stores in L.A., became part of an underground crisscrossing the whole state of California, up and down, because you were not under any circumstances allowed to take the pot grown in California out of California. It had to be sold here, because once it left the state, it wasn't medicine anymore. It was a felony.

At this point, there was so much demand for this medicine that Eddie, the dispensary owner, had a ton of shops, was making his name around town, and he was always popping into his stores unannounced just to keep his clerks on edge. If he called ahead, he didn't know. Were his clerks sitting on the couch playing video games? Was one of them fooling around with someone in a back room?

At this point, there was so much demand for this medicine that Eddie, the dispensary owner, had a ton of shops, was making his name around town, and he was always popping into his stores unannounced just to keep his clerks on edge. If he called ahead, he didn't know. Were his clerks sitting on the couch playing video games? Was one of them fooling around with someone in a back room?