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Craig Kapitas had one of the most colorful beats in journalism.

He wrote about the illegal drug trade for High Times magazine.

Dealer's would search me out asking me to go to Latin America to write adventure stories about them.

One guy once opened up a Halliburton, a little small Halliburton suitcase.

He had 1.5 million in cash in the damn thing.

But Jesus, what are you doing with that?

That was in December 1977 in Washington, DC.

It was a big weekend for drugs in the nation's capital.

Everyone was coming to Washington.

Smugglers, adventurers, scientists, musicians, lawyers, farmers, dealers, global leaders.

And all of them were coming with some of the most written,

tutin, scientifically produced, cavalcade of recreational drugs you could imagine.

And they were bringing it down in bulk.

The occasion was a weekend conference.

Put on by the National Organization for the Reform of marijuana laws, more commonly known as normal.

For normal and its allies, 1977 was an amazing year.

Mississippi, New York, and North Carolina all passed decriminalization laws.

And the new man in the White House was pushing Congress to do the same thing.

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