The War on Drugs Podcast

Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated is at once a tale as old as time - a true believer learns the hard way that the costs of lofty ambition and hubris just might outweigh even the most optimistic upside - and a thoroughly modern story of technology overtaking the very people it is meant to serve.  In this case:  the ubiquitous electric gun carried by cops everywhere and inspiring comedic shenanigans in movies like The Hangover.

Host and documentarian Nick Berardini has been obsessed with this story for his entire adult life. With Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated, he left no stone unturned. 

Taser, Inc., now known as Axon, the 800-pound gorilla in the paramilitary police equipment industry, is led by its charismatic CEO and co-founder, Rick Smith.  Fueled by a self-described religious dedication, Smith’s Star Trek obsession, and an ambitious vision of a world without gun violence, Rick leads Taser, Inc. to be the key tech supplier to virtually every police force in America. But as stories of alleged misuse, deaths, and serious injuries from Tasers begin to emerge, Taser, Inc. and Rick arrive at a crossroads between Rick’s vision and reality, with cops and the citizens they are sworn to serve and protect paying the price.

Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated is a production of Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This season, we heard from artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs who’ve lived the consequences of the War on Drugs. But what’s next? In the finale, Greg and Clayton look at the biggest takeaways from these conversations and break down what we can all do to push for change.

A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.

The War on Drugs is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts and Stand Together Music in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shinedown frontman Brent Smith knows addiction. He’s lived it, fought through it, and come out the other side. But his journey wasn’t a straight line—and that’s the point. In this episode, Brent talks about breaking free from one-size-fits-all recovery models, the role of community in overcoming addiction, and why drug policy needs to be about support, not punishment. 

A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.

The War on Drugs is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts and Stand Together Music in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Buffalo-born rapper and entrepreneur explains the difference between the weed business and the cannabis industry- how is this semi-legal system working for people trying to come off the sidelines and out of the black market and criminal justice pipeline and do it legitimately? How can we ensure those people get to play the game and aren’t thrown right back into the underground by a system that favors deep-pocketed corporate players?  Benny strikes a positive optimistic tone as he talks about the need for a collective of smaller sized business owners, and the need for a coherent national policy to realize the promise of the early progress of legalization and decriminalization. 

A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.

The War on Drugs is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts and Stand Together Music in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like Episode 3 guest Liz Carmouche, former NHL enforcer Riley Cote knows something about pain.  And also about the problematic cycles of machismo and stigma that can prevent people from seeking out certain paths to treatment and remedy.  Riley overcame those obstacles in his own life, finding success in pain management and mental stability with cannabis and other alternative treatments.  He now advocates for others like him to have access to these medicines, and avoid the paths to alcohol / opioid addiction, depression, and even suicide he has witnessed far too many times among his peers.

A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.

The War on Drugs is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts and Stand Together Music in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.