The Discovery Channel announced today that it will produce a reality series about Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the nation’s largest medical cannabis dispensary.
“Weed Wars,” scheduled to premiere this fall, “fearlessly pulls back the curtain on a once illegal and still controversial world,” according to a press release issued by Discovery.
In 2004, Oakland became the first city to license medical cannabis outlets. Harborside, founded by Steve DeAngelo, serves over 80,000 patients. It recently extended its reach with a second location in San Jose.
In addition to DeAngelo and his staff, “Weed Wars” will follow the journey of the plant itself — from seed germination to harvesting, profiling growers and farmers along the way.
“Weed Wars fearlessly pulls back the curtain on a once illegal and still controversial world,” explained Discovery executve VP Nancy Daniels “…Like Gold Rush or Deadliest Catch, these are guys pursuing their own version of the American Dream.”
According to Steve Bloom at Celeb Stoner, Steve DeAngelo, owner of Haborside Health, left his home base of Washington, DC and moved to the Bay Area in 2000. Previously, he’d owned the hemp clothing line, Ecolution. The Harborside flagship opened in Oakland in 2007. With its slick interiors, huge clientele (80,000 patients) and product line, and high quality-control standards, the dispensary has received kudos from the industry and media alike. Harborside branched out with a store in San Jose in 2010.
Production crews have been shooting in the Bay Area for six months, a Discovery spokesperson said. A premiere date for the series has yet to be announced.
