Howard Marks, commonly known as “Mr. Nice,” was a Welsh drug smuggler and author who rose to prominence in the cannabis industry. Marks passed away in 2016, however he lived from 1945 to 2016.
At the height of his career as a smuggler, he was associated with networks ranging from the CIA in the United States to the British secret service and even the Mafia in Italy. He was well-known for his intelligence as well as his magnetic personality.
Marks was apprehended in the middle of the 1980s and extradited to the United States, where he was tried and found guilty of narcotics trafficking there.
He was incarcerated for a period of seven years by the federal government.
After being let out of prison, he went on to become a renowned advocate for the legalisation of cannabis, making use of the knowledge he gained during his time spent working in the drug trade to bolster his argument. He also lent his name to the ‘Mr Nice Seedbank’ with Shantibaba and owned a small bar in Leeds, UK.
Best Selling Author
Marks chronicled his time as a cannabis smuggler in his best-selling book, “Mr. Nice,” which was published in 2013.
In it, he claimed that at the height of his power, he was using 43 aliases and that he controlled 10% of the hashish market worldwide. Rhys Ifans plays the lead role in the movie adaptation of his narrative, which bears the same name.
Throughout the latter part of his life, Howard Marks kept a prominent profile in the media as an advocate for the legalisation of cannabis.
He was also a frequent speaker at public events and festivals, where he discussed his experiences as well as his perspectives on the regulation of drugs. In 2016, he succumbed to the effects of cancer.
