Damian Marley Grows Pot In Prison

After years of historic drought and declining oil prices, Coalinga – a small town of farmers and oil workers in central California – was left $3.3 million in debt and watching jobs disappear. But this year the town rebounded almost instantly – debt erased, 100 new jobs, and $1 million in new, annual tax income. Their secret: Damian Marley, youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley. Marley bought a former Cal State Prison in Coalinga for $4.1 million, eradicating their debt on the spot. He converted the enormous former prison into a grow space for his medical marijuana business partner, Ocean Grown Extracts.  

  “Many people sacrificed so much for the herb over the years who got locked up,” Marley told Billboard. “If this [venture] helps people and it’s used for medicinal purposes and inspires people, it’s a success.” It’s hard to ignore the sweet irony of turning a place using taxpayer money to lock up non-violent drug offenders into a revenue stream that will help Coalinga fund education, create jobs and heal citizens across California. With the rapid pace of change in America, it pays (big) to think outside the box. Big ups to Damian and his partners for creating new ways to make small-town America great again. Ready for more? Read about a former inmate and his experience with another great prison program.