Meet the Biggest Weed Smuggler in History

Meet the Biggest Weed Smuggler in History

Author: David Bienenstock December 31, 2025 Duration: 1:02:09
Harold Derber pioneered the modern narcotics trade with his groundbreaking invention: the mothership. By operating a fleet of clandestine motherships floating in international waters, Derber eventually became the most prolific supplier of illicit weed in American history. In this interview with David Tuch, author ofThe Wireless Operator: The Untold Story of the British Sailor Who Invented the Modern Drug Trade, we tell the tale of a larger than life outlaw, a story full of action, adventure, intrigue, espionage, romance, mystery, murder and of course the smuggling of massive amounts of weed. PATREON Please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 150+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. 

Great Moments in Weed History delves deep into humanity's 10,000+ year relationship with cannabis (a.k.a. marijuana) to explore the humor, heart, and historical importance of the planet's most revered and maligned plant. Hosted by David Bienenstock.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Great Moments in Weed History
Podcast Episodes
The 'War on Weed' Paved the Way for Authoritarianism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:33
The most heinous legal and human rights abuses of our current political moment all have their roots in the War on Drugs, from corruption and racism, to propaganda and mass incarceration. Our guest this week, Dr. David Fa…
Ganjasaurus Rex to the Rescue! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:19
In 1987, real life outlaw growers in Humboldt County, CA made a low budget monster movie called Ganjasaurus Rex, a cult classic that we explore in this episode with special guest Jon Gabrus (Staying Alive, 101 Places to…
I Told The Ultimate Corporate Weed Bro to STFU [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:57
Fed up with finance d-bags enshitifying everything? Well, I can't stop them from trying to take over weed too, but I did just tell one of the worst offenders to hit the bricks, only with much more colorful language. Adam…
LSD Fueled the Grateful Dead's 'Wall of Sound' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:55
An underground chemist, acid-soaked sound engineers, a bestselling author, and a psychedelic band all set out together in the 1970s in pursuit of audio perfection. Together, they created and destroyed a legendary sound s…
'What is Hype Weed?' w/ The Highest Critic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:21
Caleb Chen is a weed enthusiast, researcher, reviewer and academic, who runs "The Highest Critic," and is well on his way to earning a doctorate in the subject. He's also a Ganjier and a reviewer with Budist. Caleb joins…
Weed History in the Middle East [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:55
From ancient traditions to the evolution of modern cannabis culture in Morocco, India, Egypt, Nepal, and other traditional hashish regions, get ready for a fascinating time getting high on history with Dr. Maziyar Ghiabr…
From Shy Weed Nerd to Supernova Woman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:33
Amber E. Senter’s impressive legal cannabis career began with years of underground weed growing, hashmaking and edibles slanging. Amber is the founder and CEO of MAKR House, a cannabis house of brands, and she has served…
Can 'High Times' Rise from the Ashes? (w/ Josh Kesselman) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:05
When a bunch of vulture capital d-bags ran High Times into bankruptcy, the magazine's illustrious fifty year history appeared to be burnt out. But then, in June, Raw Papers founder Josh Kesselman announced that he’d boug…
The 'Mayor of Oaksterdam' Fought the Man to Free the Weed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:26
Richard Lee's life changed forever in 1990 when he slipped on a catwalk while setting up the lights for an Aerosmith concert, suffering a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. A Texas native raised b…
Meet the Founder of An Iconic 1970s Weed Magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:46
Charlotte Parker started Head magazine while working an entry level publishing job at Penthouse, in order to cover the world of weed in depth at a time long before legalization. Looking back at a few covers from those 19…