Becoming the King of Pot — The Bruce Perlowin Story
The true story of Bruce Perlowin — once the largest marijuana smuggler in U.S. history. From a teenage hustler in Ohio to running a 300,000-pound cannabis empire, to nine years in federal prison, to founding a publicly traded hemp company. This is cannabis history.
Bruce Perlowin was once the largest marijuana smuggler in United States history. In the 1970s and early 80s, he ran a multi-million dollar cannabis operation that spanned continents, moving hundreds of thousands of pounds of weed while federal agents closed in. He served nine years in federal prison. Then he got out — and got legal.
"Becoming the King of Pot" is the TNMNews original series documenting Bruce's full story in his own words: the hustle, the empire, the betrayals, the arrest, and the redemption. This is true crime cannabis history — and it's unlike anything else in the industry.
Episodes
1. From High School Hustle to King of Pot Empire
How Bruce Perlowin went from teenage ambition to running one of the largest cannabis smuggling operations in American history.
2. From Broke in Ohio to King of Pot: The Unbelievable Rise
The early years — starting with nothing and building an empire one connection at a time.
3. Bruce Perlowin's Smuggling Stories: Early Cannabis Career
First-hand accounts of the early runs, the risks, and the rewards that defined Perlowin's entry into the game.
4. King of Pot's Wild Ride: Acid Trips & Brotherhood of Love
The counterculture roots of the operation — how ideology, community, and chemistry fueled the movement.
5. Undercover Cops, Trust Funds, and a Tense Standoff
The heat closes in. Federal agents, informants, and the moment everything changed.
6. Wealth, Power, and Truth: Bruce Perlowin Unfiltered
Beyond the operation — the personal cost of living at the top of an illegal empire.
7. Becoming the King of Pot: The Contest
A community moment — TNMNews celebrates the series launch with fans.
8. "Becoming the King of Pot" Podcast Launch
The groundbreaking podcast series that pulls back the curtain on the extraordinary life of Bruce Perlowin, the legendary 1970s cannabis smuggler.
About Bruce Perlowin
Bruce Perlowin began smuggling cannabis in the early 1970s, building an organization that at its peak moved over 300,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States. Arrested in 1983, he served nine years in federal prison before being released in 1991. He went on to found Hemp, Inc., one of the first publicly traded hemp companies in America. His story spans the entire arc of American cannabis history — from felony to fully legal.