But mostly, Brady makes clear that the current system isn’t working. Law enforcement knows it, the growers know it, and the patients and users know it. Violence follows marijuana cultivation because it is both illegal and lucrative; some people need pot, but the industry itself isn’t just stoners in tie-dye T-shirts scarfing Cheetos.

Humboldt is an excellent example of long-form journalism, and should be required reading for anyone interested in decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana production and use—which should be all of us.