Captives of Cannabis: Marijuana black market tied to international organized crime?

Captives of Cannabis: Marijuana black market tied to international organized crime?

NBC News’ Jacob Soboroff takes an in-depth look into the illegal marijuana industry across the U.S. and its potential ties to international organized crime and human trafficking. This report follows Jacob’s year-long “Captives of Cannabis” investigation.

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46 Comments

  1. Angela Brown on November 23, 2023 at 1:04 am

    These people are still criminal because they are still making more money than the legal sales. 😊. Because the people are tired of the frigging TAX to make it legal . Only the poor and disabled are actually getting the weed paid through Medicare or crime. The workers still can’t afford that BS. The ones who actually work are denied services, food stamps, and medical care. Especially if your normal. Just go, Federal. Are you still Jailing people and trying to make a profit from it NOT being under a Federally Funded program? Na cause We the American working people don’t matter.



  2. HindsightCapital on November 23, 2023 at 1:04 am

    just deregulate it. make licenses more obtainable. the market will work itself out and weed out all the illegal grows



  3. Randall Hayes on November 23, 2023 at 1:05 am

    Black market will always be here until they legalize it completely so they can have decent prices I use cannabis everyday most of mine comes off the street because I cannot afford those jacked up dispensary prices. I’m in Mississippi should I say more.



  4. Gerald Garrett on November 23, 2023 at 1:07 am

    Legal Herb? What a joke. Wish it were true. Here in Texas disabled vets get locked up for smoking herb for medicine.



  5. BUZZ on November 23, 2023 at 1:07 am

    Ive never had legal weed in me life so I cannot compare it to fed regulated weed.😊🇺🇸✌🏻🍻



  6. You Liked Your Own Comment on November 23, 2023 at 1:07 am

    Illegal weed is better, cheaper and easier to purchase.



  7. Hall of mirrors on November 23, 2023 at 1:09 am

    The truth is migrants are categorised by the system as slaves behind the scenes



  8. Dropcash15 on November 23, 2023 at 1:09 am

    so sad to see them ripping the plants out of the pots 😢😢😢



  9. Karen waddell on November 23, 2023 at 1:11 am

    Freedom!



  10. The New World Snorter on November 23, 2023 at 1:12 am

    its what ya get when them borders be wide open boy.



  11. l Very Silly☢🍓 on November 23, 2023 at 1:12 am

    the reason why they’re not saying that they’re human trafficked is because they arent.

    Im pretty sure every teenager in america would tell you that these "chinese trafficking victims" are living their dream rn.

    they are getting to be abroad, make large sums of money, and not need a bit of education or training to be able to do so.
    anyone out there that thinks that a 2000 dollar a month paycheck, free room board, no qualifications.
    anyone who thinks that that is something you’d have to be forced to do, has never looked for a job, has never experienced adulthood, and isn’t a real human.
    I have a feeling you’re all aliens if you come from a world where a paycheck larger than 60% of those watching, travel to another country, and free place to live is bad?
    omg? did any of you have to work to get where you are? Im pretty sure every teenager in america would tell you that these "chinese trafficking victims" are living their dream rn.



  12. jon tomas on November 23, 2023 at 1:12 am

    They aren’t captives of cannabis, of course. They are captives of the FRAUDULENTLY enacted, monstrously destructive cannabis prohibition. If it weren’t for that illegal ban, none of this would have happened.



  13. Jason Parish on November 23, 2023 at 1:13 am

    Keep "regulating and taxing" cannabis and this is what you get… complete legalization at the federal level is the only answer!!!



  14. 😒BLM trejurey depourtment🤔 on November 23, 2023 at 1:18 am

    It’s so funny they sabotaged the industry with taxation and banking regulations😅



  15. Lee Adickes on November 23, 2023 at 1:21 am

    The black market is the only free market.



  16. Jason Higgins on November 23, 2023 at 1:22 am

    Court system nor law enforcement is burdened over the other corporate bs they guard



  17. John Spencer on November 23, 2023 at 1:22 am

    I really feel left aside hearing and seeing several testimonies from people on profits they make from crypto/Forex investments. Can someone please recommend a good expert that can trade on my behalf and generate profits for me🥺🥺🥺



  18. Chinua Umano on November 23, 2023 at 1:23 am

    Who is buying their weed?



  19. It's Maji on November 23, 2023 at 1:23 am

    Soldiers should wash thoroughly their uniforms, the smell of it may stay 😮



  20. Johnathon Wright on November 23, 2023 at 1:23 am

    The laws, taxes, and regulations were designed to keep the marijuana business in wealthy corporate hands. it also make it so expensive that people start looking for more sanely priced alternatives. That is why the grey market has appeared, because of the ham fisted pro corporation regulations the poobahs in parliament, in their great wisdom and corrupt worldliness, foisted upon an industry that already existed.
    I think people should avoid the government regulated stores when they can. It is a big scam that is creating the current issues.
    There is no need to deal with any international criminals when you give a tiny bit of thought to how much weed is grown in Canada. People who have been growing weed and developing strains for decades are not suddenly going to stop because the government wants only corporate owned growers? No, they aren’t going to stop. The scare stuff about international criminals is scare BS, to get you to trust government’s grossly over priced stores. The government made it so expensive to do biz that only corporate criminals, the real international criminals involved, can control the market and the prices. NBC is part of that dishonest game.



  21. Tom Cassidy on November 23, 2023 at 1:25 am

    oklahoma ….. could not figure out this would happen ?



  22. Lee Adickes on November 23, 2023 at 1:26 am

    Biden could just have it take off the list of controlled substances.



  23. Nuka618 on November 23, 2023 at 1:31 am

    Legalize and we wont have organized crime in cannabis



  24. B.T. on November 23, 2023 at 1:31 am

    Look at all the organized crime linked to alcohol. Oh wait. There isn’t any anymore. Hmmm, maybe we should legalize weed in the same way we legalize alcohol. Over regulation and this propaganda fueled illogical fear surrounding cannabis needs to end. Smoke an 8th instead of drinking a 5th.



  25. RC on November 23, 2023 at 1:32 am

    When legal weed prices are at $100 per quarter ounce or more, the black market becomes a competitor.



  26. minime on November 23, 2023 at 1:33 am

    A crime ?? To relax ??? Well i never did it …. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂❤❤❤😂😂❤😂❤❤ no legal beadle ere officer. Xx 😂😂😂



  27. 4Realkevv on November 23, 2023 at 1:33 am

    Sheriff should relaxs lol the town looks dry they could use the tax money



  28. Kubston on November 23, 2023 at 1:33 am

    In illinois, to become a grower you must pay $150,000 a year to keep your grow license. Not counting the $1 – $2 million dollars it costs to set up the building and keep in line with regulations. Only corporations own and run dispensaries in illinois. It’s too expensive for a person who ACTUALLY CARES about the plant and doesn’t produce mid bud at insane prices like the dispo



  29. Kipro on November 23, 2023 at 1:34 am

    I smoke and it is such an expensive affair. I want out but it just keeps pulling me back. How do I completely quit this thing?



  30. Wauna on November 23, 2023 at 1:35 am

    Only criminals are the police



  31. Jason Higgins on November 23, 2023 at 1:36 am

    Im only 2:38 into the video and i see the problem.. while legalizing they have made it impossible to become a farmer or grower unless you already are wealthy enough to afford the loopholes and line the right pockets.. lets see if im still near dead on by the end



  32. LouGarza1 on November 23, 2023 at 1:38 am

    Again: Nature can not and should not be made illegal while people in suits and lab coats create fentynl for profits. That was made in a lab, not by nature! Back in my day we had all the usual substances but i hate to say; those were nothing compared to the man made stuff on the market these days! Nature heals, this is why they wage war against a crop and against our creator and his work.



  33. Are Are Are on November 23, 2023 at 1:40 am

    Wasteoids don’t care. As long as they have their pot…..



  34. red eye on November 23, 2023 at 1:41 am

    9 out of ten chinese and pakis are dirty the 1 that is not just went ligit with the dirty money



  35. Mikey S. on November 23, 2023 at 1:42 am

    Any drug market running under the radar can be linked to horrible crimes if you can describe it as an enterprise. It’s not about the drug being sold it’s about that money and most of it is incredibly dark, blood stained money when it is passing through that many hands. If you want to avoid contributing support your small town dealer I guess? Personally I’d say find a new hobby and get a life. I did.



  36. Andrew Hill on November 23, 2023 at 1:44 am

    Amazing video, had no idea.



  37. jon tomas on November 23, 2023 at 1:44 am

    Science and widespread experience have shown cannabis has no significant harms. Hence, the only regulation it really needs is to prohibit sales to children and require adequate sanitation, as we do for all produce. —– After the fraudulent federal prohibition soon collapses, the national market will quickly develop and prices will fall to their natural price of $25 to $40 an ounce. It’s just a plant.



  38. WEEDQUEEN on November 23, 2023 at 1:47 am

    Wait? Did it say 4 killed? Wow



  39. Egzoset on November 23, 2023 at 1:53 am

    Imagine politi¢ian$ & their ma$$-media friend$…



  40. Crypto Hound on November 23, 2023 at 1:53 am

    4:45……he was arrested after our interview 😵.



  41. School for Hackers on November 23, 2023 at 1:54 am

    Really? 420 views and no comments?



  42. Steven M on November 23, 2023 at 1:55 am

    If Rachel Maddow and Stephen Colbert had a son…



  43. Angel Sanchez on November 23, 2023 at 1:55 am

    THEY AIN’T EVEN BLURRED HIS FACE



  44. David Dyer on November 23, 2023 at 1:59 am

    Pure 🗑️ grow in Oklahoma



  45. Danny M on November 23, 2023 at 2:00 am

    Just federally legalize it… Those dollars can go toward taxes instead of criminals



  46. John Warren on November 23, 2023 at 2:01 am

    Weed is legal if it has less delta 9 THC same plant HOW CAN A PLANT BE BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL AT THE SAME TIME INSANE GOVERNMENT POLICIES
    TAKE IT OFF THE CONTROLLED DRUG LIST AND MAKE IT LIKE ANY OTHER PLANT YOU OR A FARMER CAN GROW JUST SAYING …
    I saw a missed spelled word so I edited it myself