Richard Wershe speaks to Cannabis Wealth about joining Pleasantrees to develop his own cannabis range named after the 8th amendment.
One year after his release from prison, Richard Wershe, also known as White Boy Rick, is the longest-serving juvenile offender in Michigan. He served 32 years in prison for non-violent drug offences after he was arrested at the age of seventeen.
Richard Wershe became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14 in the 1980s. Wershe was involved in Detroit’s drug trade during the War on Drugs. He eventually ended up working in the drug trade after he no longer worked with the FBI. He was arrested for cocaine possession served 32 years in prison. He was released in July 2020 and is now suing the FBI and prosecutors for allegedly using him as an informant from the age of 14.
Rick, now aged 52, is now moving into the established US cannabis market with the release of his new range, The 8th. The 8th has been developed with Pleasantrees, a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Michigan. The collaboration will focus on flower in pre-rolls and vape cartridges along with brand clothing. A substantial portion of the sales proceeds will be dedicated towards the release of wrongly or excessively imprisoned drug offenders.
The 8th is named in reference to the 8th amendment in the U.S. Constitution that prohibits the government from imposing excessive bail, excessing fines or cruel and unusual punishments towards criminal defendants.
The cannabis industry has changed dramatically in the past few years. Investopedia estimated that global cannabis sales are expected to increase from $13.4 billion in 2020 to $33.6bn by 2025. Despite this, there are still prisoners serving sentences for nonviolent cannabis crimes in the US.
How difficult has it been to watch the industry develop after his release from prison?
Speaking with Cannabis Wealth, Rick said: “Cannabis was never a big deal where I grew up. When I got to prison I met people that were doing life for cannabis. To me, having someone in prison for life for cannabis was crazy. I couldn’t believe it and I was a young man so I was shocked. People would say “but this person smuggled tonnes”, but I still thought that it’s just a plant derived from the Earth.”
I call people currently incarcerated for non-violent crimes “the forgotten ones”. I try to reach out and help them. I might send something to them in the mail or take a phone call if I can. Tomorrow, I get to go collect a young lady out of prison who has been in there for almost 19 years which I am really looking forward to.”
Cannabis collaboration
The collaboration happened as a result of a meeting between Jerome Crawford, who is the director of Social Equity for Pleasantrees. Jerome works to identify opportunities and ensures fair and balanced employment in the legalised cannabis industry. Rick had been speaking with different companies but it was Pleasantrees and Jerome’s approach to social equity that really appealed to him. Rick will be working closely with Jerome on the development of the brand.
He said: “I met Randy, Jerome and Brian from Pleasantrees and we really clicked. They had the same idea that I had. Jerome was on the forefront of trying to help people who had been wrongly incarcerated.”
The Pleasantrees leadership team, Randy Buchman, Benjamin M. Sobczak, and Bryan Wickersham had a part in the naming of the brand.
“We had come up with the 5th or the 6th. Bryan Wickersham, one of the partners said, you guys are crazy – his 8th amendment was violated. So let’s call it the 8th. Maybe down the line, we will come out with other collections but “The 8th” was very fitting. It was one of the ways in which I got out of prison. So now, I like to teach people about their constitutional rights, especially the 8th amendment.”
He explained: “In the US you have constitutional rights. Your Eighth Amendment is the ban on excessive fines, bail or cruel and unusual punishment. It means you aren’t supposed to be over punished or incarcerated. All of those things, in my case, were violated I was seventeen years old and I had to pay $300,000 cash to get out on a charge that I was innocent until proven guilty from.”
The team also went on to develop the slogan “time is money”. It acknowledges the damages that are owed to those who have had their 8th Amendment rights violated. Rick sued the FBI and prosecutors in 2021 for allegedly using him as an informant from the age of 14.
Cannabis brands and social equity
Rick is hopeful that more brands will be able to provide some help for people who are interested in entering the cannabis industry. Particularly those from minority communities and those who are struggling financially.
“I wish more people who didn’t have the money to get into the industry were able to. There are a lot of people who had a tonne of money to begin with entering the industry, which is not to say they don’t belong there, but who do big things now they are there,” he said.
“I don’t call it a handout, I call it a hand up. Most people don’t want a handout, they just want a bit of help. One of the things we do here is try to hire people who might not have an opportunity or a chance to get into this industry. The CEO [of Pleasantrees] Randy Buchman, had the same idea to let those people in the door and try to give them that opportunity so that attracted me as well.”
Rick added: “Success brings haters and when you are successful then people take shots. I promise you, as I sit in this seat, everything that we do will be to try to help people and do good things. We are trying to let people into the industry who might not have had the chance otherwise. We also don’t believe anyone should be incarcerated for cannabis.”
Rick feels that being in the cannabis industry is an incredibly positive experience as it has been able to help him give back to those in need.
“It’s great to be involved in an industry where we are able to help others. It’s been a blessing to be able to be involved in it because my mission in life is to be able to give back and help others,” he said.
“The cannabis industry can be incredibly giving. This young man wrote to me in prison and I never thought I would get a chance to change his life so I invited him to my launch party. He had broken his neck when he was about eighteen and was paralysed. At the party, I was able to raise over $60,000 to give him a new van and £90,000 in total. Without those people in the cannabis industry, it would have been so much harder to raise that money.”
The year ahead
The year ahead is set to be a busy one for Rick as he starts to grow the 8th brand, continues his work with Pleasantrees and a soon-to-be-released Netflix series on the way. He is grateful that the cannabis industry has given him a platform to continue his work on helping non-violent cannabis offenders.
“It’s going to continue to grow and there will be more innovative products coming out of the industry. I am so glad to be a part of it as it allows me to do what I’m doing. The platform that I have has been able to help this lady get out of prison tomorrow. She has been in there for 20 years on non-violent cannabis crimes. Again, I was able to reach out to the cannabis industry to help raise money for her. When she gets out, we will be able to give her a used car, some money and help to get her on her feet.”
He added: “I love where I can see it going. In America, I hope that our government will realise how helpful it can be and that it will become legalised on a national level instead of a state by state level. One thing my brand and Pleasantrees stands for is trying to help those incarcerated for a cannabis crime. I don’t think anyone should be incarcerated at this point for cannabis.”
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