West
Ex-cop turned legal pot farmer claims he’s bigger dealer than ‘anyone sitting in prison’
Kyle Kazan is a former Los Angeles Police Department officer who once had to arrest a man he pulled up next to at a red light who had a marijuana plant sticking out of his convertible with the top down.
“We stopped at the red light, and he had a giant plant in the back seat of his car,” Kazan told Fox News Digital. “And then, when I looked at him, people are laughing. I mean it was so ridiculous. And then he saluted me.”
Now Kazan’s one of the biggest legal pot growers in the country, the co-founder and CEO of Glass House Brands, which he says produces more than 600,000 pounds of weed a year and expects to break the million mark soon.
The company owns 6 million square feet of greenhouse space, he said, but is using less than half of that.
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Glass House Brands co-founder and CEO Kyle Kazan speaks via Zoom about the fairness of his sprawling legal marijuana business with thousands of nonviolent pot deals behind bars around the U.S. (Fox News Digital)
After breaking into the legal pot business with some shady partners, including an associate of the infamous LA mogul Suge Knight, Kazan said he cleaned things up, attracted legitimate investors and cultivated a California powerhouse.
But there’s a darker side of the legalized pot business, says the man who has delivered public speeches while wearing a shirt declaring, “No one should be in prison for a plant.”
Thousands of people are serving felony prison sentences for nonviolent marijuana dealing that pale in comparison to the scale of his operation.
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Thriving marijuana plants pack the Glass House greenhouse in southern California. (Glass House Brands)
“Justice, then, certainly isn’t blind now, is it?” Kazan said.
According to Kazan’s estimate, there are between 2,700 and 3,000 people imprisoned on marijuana distribution charges in federal prisons. There are thousands more in state prisons. The Last Prisoner Project, a Colorado-based nonprofit, estimates that in 2018 there were 32,000 inmates around the country on cannabis-related charges.
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That’s just wrong, Kazan argued, especially when none of those people moved anywhere near as much weight as his company.
An exterior photo of a row of Glass House Brands greenhouses in southern California. CEO Kyle Kazan says the company owns 6 million square feet of greenhouse space for its legal marijuana farming. (Glass House Brands)
He takes the issue seriously and has even flown across the country to speak on behalf of nonviolent marijuana dealers facing decades in prison.
“I flew down to the federal courthouse in Augusta, (Georgia), at the request of a guy named Jose Valero Jr. in 2022, because he reached out to me on social media and said, ‘I’m taking a plea. I’m going to get sentenced,’” Kazan told Fox News Digital.
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Valero was facing three charges related to eight pounds of pot, Kazan said. That’s about as much as he might sweep off the floor in one of his greenhouses and throw out on a given day, he said.
“That’s what I point out, like the judge, the defendant, everybody could own – legally – my stock with a Charles Schwab account, right now, from the courthouse,” he said. “And you’re sentencing this young man?”
Weldon Angelos, Bella Thorne, Kyle Kazan and Supa Peach pose before participating in a panel during the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Austin Convention Center March 19, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Gary Miller/Getty Images for Glass House Brands)
He is calling for clemency for nonviolent dealers as well as reasonable regulations for the marijuana industry. And he has slammed politicians in both parties, especially President Biden, over the number of pot dealers still incarcerated today.
“Mr. Biden, unfortunately, has not wavered in his commitment to keeping people in prison, unless you’re a famous WNBA player sitting in Mr. Putin’s prison. And I’m happy she’s home, and I’m happy that he went to bat for her,” he said, wagging a pen in front of a camera.
“But you don’t have to trade away a merchant of death when you have this, and you just need 3,000 signatures to end it.”
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He said marijuana users should be treated like alcohol users — allowed to partake legally but limited to reasonable, safe behavior.
“San Francisco and the craziness in our state has made a mockery of my argument because they’re saying, ‘Oh, you just want people splayed out in the streets, and you want needles in parks where kids play,” he said. “No, I don’t. I also don’t want people out there running around with a beer, drinking in public. There needs to be some laws around this, but you can do this in a sane, rational way.”
Glass House Brands CEO Kyle Kazan says the legal marijuana grower produces more than 600,000 pounds of pot a year, far more than any dealer sitting in prison. (Glass House Brands)
Kazan also weighed in on a recent high-profile case involving a woman who fell into a “marijuana-induced psychosis” after smoking a high-potency strain of boutique pot, then fatally stabbed her boyfriend and plunged the knife into her own neck multiple times before police arrived.
He compared the high THC content she consumed to Jack Daniel’s whiskey having more alcohol than a beer.
“It’s a lot less potent, but when you drink enough of it, you’re going to get to the same place,” he said.
He said he disagreed with the outcome of her trial, in which she was acquitted.
“It needs to be some personal responsibility,” he said. “When I read that story, I shook my head. If you make a choice to obliterate yourself with alcohol or whatever, I think you should still bear the consequences of your actions.”
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Oregon
Oregon Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 4 results for July 3
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 3 drawing
05-09-29-47-57, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 3 drawing
1PM: 8-4-1-9
4PM: 2-5-9-0
7PM: 9-8-8-0
10PM: 1-3-8-7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Utah
Utah Jazz sign defensive wing to roster
According to Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz signed Josh Okogie to a 2-year $12M deal.
Okogie shot 38.5% from three last season in Houston, as Charania mentions, and fills a need for the Jazz, who are looking for defensive help on the perimeter.
It’s a clear sign that Utah is in the business now of building its roster to compete next season for a playoff spot. After the Walker Kessler trade, the starting lineup will likely be Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic. But Utah needs depth and defense. With Okogie on the roster, the team gains a veteran presence and a defense-first player who can also shoot. It’s likely to be a trend for Utah going forward that they bring on players with size who defend but are also capable shooters and scorers on offense. At this point, Utah is not in the business of taking on project players but is looking to fill needs on its roster. Okogie does just that.
At this point, the most likely potential signings, or trade, could be more center depth after the Kessler trade, and possibly another ball-handling guard. It’s not clear if Utah is done with the roster but this signing will add nice depth.
Washington
Review: ‘Young Washington’ is an imperfect film perfect for kicking off the 4th of July
There are some movies you admire. There are others that surprise you.
“Young Washington” grazes the first category while falling into the second.
I wasn’t expecting to be swept away by a relatively modest historical drama about George Washington before he became the father of a nation. And for a while, I wasn’t.
The film takes its time introducing the future president, and that deliberate pace occasionally borders on sluggish. The first half struggles to find its rhythm, and there are moments when the story feels more interested in checking historical boxes than pulling us into the drama.
But somewhere along the way, something changed.
I stopped watching a history lesson and started watching a young man trying to figure out who he wanted to become.
By the end, I found myself surprisingly invested. Not because “Young Washington” is a perfect movie. Because it reminded me why stories about imperfect people often make for the best history.
A surprisingly ambitious production
One of the first things that stood out was just how good this movie looks.
This isn’t a blockbuster with the budget of films like “The Patriot” or “The Last of the Mohicans.” In fact, when you consider what those productions cost – and adjust for inflation – the difference is enormous.
That’s what makes this film’s production value so impressive.
The costumes, locations, and battle sequences all feel authentic enough to transport you back to colonial America. There are moments where it’s clear the filmmakers had to be creative with their resources, but more often than not they make those limitations disappear.
It’s a reminder that good filmmaking isn’t always about having the biggest budget.
Sometimes it’s about knowing exactly where to spend the money you do have.
An uneven cast, but strong performances where it matters
The acting is a bit of a mixed bag.
There are performances that occasionally feel stiff and a few scenes where the dialogue doesn’t land with the emotional weight it’s reaching for.
Fortunately, those moments never completely pulled me out of the movie.
Ben Kingsley brings a welcome sense of gravitas whenever he appears, and Andy Serkis continues his remarkable ability to disappear into whatever role he’s given. Their performances help ground the film and elevate several key moments.
More importantly, the actor portraying the young Washington succeeds where it matters most.
He made me curious.
Rather than presenting Washington as the flawless hero we’ve seen in countless paintings and history books, the film allows him to be uncertain, ambitious and, at times, deeply conflicted.
That humanity gives the story life.
The best history asks bigger questions
What I appreciated most wasn’t simply learning facts about George Washington’s early life. It was watching the experiences that slowly shaped the leader he would become.
The movie explores questions that feel surprisingly relevant today.
Why do we chase success? Is ambition about building our own legacy? Seeking recognition? Or is it about leaving the world a little better than we found it?
Washington makes mistakes, he learns hard lessons and his failures become just as important as his victories.
Whether every conversation happened exactly as portrayed is almost beside the point. The film captures something emotionally true about leadership – wisdom is usually earned, not inherited.
That’s where “Young Washington” found its strongest footing.
A finale worth waiting for
For much of its runtime, I’d describe “Young Washington” as good. Not great.
The pacing continues to wobble, and I occasionally found myself wishing the story would move with a little more urgency.
Then came the final act.
Without spoiling anything, the emotional payoff finally arrives.
The themes the movie has been quietly building suddenly click into place, and what felt like a slow burn becomes something genuinely moving.
I left the theater feeling more invested than I expected, and that ending elevated the entire experience.
Sometimes a great conclusion doesn’t erase a movie’s flaws. It simply reminds you why the journey mattered.
What parents should know
“Young Washington” is PG-13, and that seems appropriate. There is no vulgar language, no sexual content, but it is a war movie, and it can get violent. It’s not gruesome or graphic, but there are battle scenes, deaths, and some blood. Young viewers may find it unsettling, and some older viewers may cover their eyes a time or two.
The violence is not romanticized but rather shown to depict the horrors of war.
Conclusion
“Young Washington” isn’t the definitive Revolutionary War epic.
It has pacing issues, some performances are uneven, and the script occasionally struggles to maintain momentum.
But I also found myself thinking about it long after the credits rolled.
In an era when so many historical films try to overwhelm audiences with spectacle, “Young Washington” focuses on something much simpler: the formation of character.
It asks how ordinary choices become extraordinary leadership. How failure shapes conviction. How service ultimately matters more than personal glory.
Watching it on the eve of the Fourth of July felt especially fitting.
As America celebrates 250 years, this movie serves as a reminder that the nation’s founding wasn’t accomplished by mythical figures who always knew the right answer. It was shaped by real people who stumbled, learned, and ultimately chose something bigger than themselves.
That’s a story worth telling.
And despite its imperfections, “Young Washington” tells it well enough that I walked away feeling just a little more grateful, and a little more excited, to celebrate this great country I have the opportunity to call home.
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