From a media release:
As Canada rolls towards legalizing marijuana for recreational use, HISTORY® offers an insider’s look into Canada’s estimated multi-billion dollar marijuana industry through the eyes of one grassroots trailblazer in the new original docu-series Bud Empire (7×30). Premiering Tuesday, June 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with back-to-back new episodes, the series follows Kelowna pot pioneer Bob Kay as he navigates his medical marijuana dispensary through the burgeoning green rush. As big business and politicians threaten to make independent head shops like Bob’s history, he must find a way to weed out the competition and solidify his place in the new frontier. Produced by Canadian Screen Award winner Trish Dolman (Canada In A Day) and Executive Producer Henry Less (Chef in Your Ear), the series is narrated by actor Will Sasso (MADtv).
Holding one of the largest personal medical marijuana grow licenses in Canada, pot-repreneur Bob has made a name for himself in the Canadian cannabis scene as the owner of Be Kind, the Okanagan’s original Compassion Club. With a head for business and a passion for pot, Bob plans to grow Be Kind from a medical marijuana dispensary into a budding empire with the help of his staff and family. With ambitious plans to grow his business, Bob looks to partner with Vancouver-based marijuana maverick and renowned grower Jo Leon a joint “LP” – a federal grow license to produce an unlimited amount of weed for retail sale. Can Bob take his small-town pot shop to the next level? Or will he, and countless other marijuana entrepreneurs just like him, soon be history?
Bud Empire premieres just ahead of the Senate’s final vote on Bill C-45, currently scheduled for June 7. If approved, marijuana will become legal for retail purchase and Canada will become the first advanced industrialized nation to legalize and regulate marijuana from production to consumption. Experts currently estimate that the base retail market of recreational marijuana could reach up to $8.7 billion annually*, with $1 billion per year in tax revenue from all marijuana sales.**
The series is produced by Screen Siren Pictures Inc. and HLP + Partners in association with Corus Entertainment’s HISTORY. Executive producers on the series are Trish Dolman and Henry Less. The series is written by Peter Waal. Series Producer is Dan Jackson. Directors are Trish Dolman, Leia Hutchings and Peter Waal.
