Cannabis Cowboys
An investigative true crime podcast about cannabis. The Berlin-based company JuicyFields promised huge profits through investments in medicinal cannabis. Thousands of people worldwide trusted the company with their savings – and lost everything. It could be a scam the size of Wirecard or OneCoin. Some say the Russian mafia or South American drug cartels were involved. Others point to German aristocrats. Since JuicyFields went dead in July 2022, criminal investigations have been launched all over Europe. Homes and offices were raided, accounts frozen. The perpetrators remain at large. But they are not silent.
DW
Show overview
Cannabis Cowboys has been publishing since 2022, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 14 episodes, alongside 2 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 5 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a roughly quarterly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 9 min and 32 min — with run-times ranging widely across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language True Crime show.
There hasn’t been a new episode in the last ninety days; the most recent episode landed 6 months ago. The busiest year was 2023, with 9 episodes published. Published by DW.
From the publisher
An investigative true crime podcast about cannabis. The Berlin-based company JuicyFields promised huge profits through investments in medicinal cannabis. Thousands of people worldwide trusted the company with their savings – and lost everything. It could be a scam the size of Wirecard or OneCoin. Some say the Russian mafia or South American drug cartels were involved. Others point to German aristocrats. Since JuicyFields went dead in July 2022, criminal investigations have been launched all over Europe. Homes and offices were raided, accounts frozen. The perpetrators remain at large. But they are not silent.
Latest Episodes
Introducing: Delayland – Germany and the Missing Magic
trailerOnce dubbed an "economic miracle”, things don't run like they used to in Germany. This new DW original podcast endeavors to find out how Germany lost its magic and who’s got it now? Traveling beyond Germany — to India, France, Switzerland, and Denmark — the show explores how others are getting things right, and what Europe's former Wunderkind might learn from them. Wherever you get podcasts.
New investigations into JuicyFields
Investigative journalists in several European countries have done their own research into JuicyFields. In this update, we talk about what they found out. Hosts: Andreas Becker und Nicolas Martin Feedback: [email protected]
Action Day - who was arrested?
More than 400 police officers have raided homes and offices in various countries. The suspects they arrested are the same people we’ve been talking about in Cannabis Cowboys – including the supposed mastermind of JuicyFields. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker Feedback: [email protected]
Good News
We had a legal dispute, but that's been solved. We can now present episode 6 of Cannabis Cowboys without the annoying beeps, and with all the names and more details. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker Feedback: [email protected]
A short update
We keep you updated on what has happened since episode 8 of Cannabis Cowboys was released. What is law enforcement doing, and can victims hope they will ever get at least some of their money back? And we have some exciting news to share: Cannabis Cowboys is now also available in German: dw.com/cannabis-cowboys Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker Feedback: [email protected]
EP08 - Potemkin Villages
It's time to finally meet the man who's willing to lift the veil on the JuicyFields mystery. We meet in Helsinki, close to the Russian border. And what he tells us blows our minds. This is our final installment - for now. The JuicyFields story is far from over. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker Feedback: [email protected]
EP07 - Matryoshka Dolls
We now look at the other tribe within JuicyFields. Is it really a group of Russian criminals that controls the company and its website? Whoever they are – they are listening to Cannabis Cowboys. And they got in touch with us. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker New episodes every Thursday Feedback: [email protected]
EP06 - Juicy Nobility
We take a look at one of the two tribes at war within JuicyFields. We travel to areas that smell of money, visit a castle, and are blinded by the allure of status and old money. We even considered taking an etiquette class. But as always with JuicyFields, all is not what it seemed to be. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker New episodes every Thursday Feedback: [email protected]
EP05 - Two Tribes
We are now looking for where all the money went. Hundreds of millions, probably billions. We discover that scamming investors might have not been JuicyFields’ only goal. And we learn of a rift that ran through the company. Inside JuicyFields, there were two tribes at war with each other. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker New episodes every Thursday Feedback: [email protected]
EP04 - Where is the Weed?
We try to find out if JuicyFields was a purely criminal project, a Ponzi, a scam without a real product. Did the medicinal cannabis really exist? For this, we get in touch with all the cannabis producers JuicyFields claimed to have partnered with. What emerged? The JuicyFields Gap. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker New episodes every Thursday Feedback: [email protected]
EP03 - Up in Smoke
We take you back to the crazy days in mid 2022 when JuicyFields stopped working. Days full of panic and anger, when thousands lost their savings, and some feared for their lives. Days full of rumors, confusion, hope and mystery, because what seemed like the end was just the beginning. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker Feedback and new leads: [email protected]
EP02 - The Sky’s the Limit
Parties in luxury hotels and airplanes, fancy sports cars and weed. In this episode, we meet key people of JuicyFields - and confront them with our doubts. We also learn about JuicyFields’ origin story, and its possible links to Russian cybercriminals. Plus: We earn money from the sale of our cannabis plant. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker Feedback and new leads: [email protected]
EP01 - Virtual Weed and Cojones
We introduce you to the business model of JuicyFields - and meet investors who trusted the startup with thousands of euros. With the promise of huge returns and the power of social media, the company created a perfect storm. Even we couldn’t resist and bought our own virtual cannabis plant. Hosts: Nicolas Martin and Andreas Becker Send us feedback, tips and new leads: [email protected]
Introducing: Cannabis Cowboys
trailerThe Berlin-based company JuicyFields promised huge profits through investments in medicinal cannabis. Thousands of people worldwide trusted the company with their savings – and lost everything. In this true crime investigation, DW asks whodunit. And the story gets stranger with every twist and turn. New episodes every Thursday starting January 19th.