by Phil Thompson (Author)
The idea first surfaced while crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Four days and nights at sea, sighting only the odd freighter, popping up on the horizon, then sailing back into the sea - the sheer size and emptiness of the ocean spawned the plan. A plan to sail a load of pot from Jamaica to Florida. Years before some fraternity brothers in college made big bucks unloading large shipments of ganja, as much as ten grand a night. I never got in on those paydays..... I also never forgot. Glenn Frey called it "The lure of easy money." In addition to the money it was a glamorous life, as depicted in cinema and song. Only the uneducated clung to the belief marijuana was dangerous. Pot was openly smoked at concerts and college campuses. Most began to accept Ganga, with the exception of the law makers and enforcers. The "War on Drugs", cocaine and mandatory prison sentences brought an end to the innocence of smuggling. The professionals took over marked by guns and violence. The days of the "Hippie Mafia" came to an end.