Howard Marks, also known as “Mr. Nice,” was a British writer, drug smuggler, and cannabis activist.

He was born on August 13, 1945, in Kenfig Hill, Wales. Marks studied at Balliol College, Oxford, where he became involved in the drug culture of the 1960s.

After graduating from Oxford, Marks moved to London and began his career as a teacher. However, he soon became involved in the international marijuana trade. In the 1970s and 1980s, Marks became one of the most successful cannabis smugglers in the world, working with various criminal organizations to import large quantities of marijuana from countries such as Thailand, Pakistan, and Lebanon into the United Kingdom and the United States.

Marks used various aliases and employed elaborate smuggling techniques, including hiding drugs in shipments of vegetables and even using a fleet of planes. At the peak of his smuggling operation, he claimed to have been involved in smuggling consignments worth billions of dollars.

In 1988, Howard Marks was arrested by the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Spain as part of Operation Green Ice, a joint operation between the DEA and the British Customs and Excise. Marks was extradited to the United States and faced multiple charges related to drug trafficking. After a high-profile trial, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

During his time in prison, Marks wrote his autobiography, titled “Mr. Nice,” which was published in 1996. The book became a bestseller and brought him international fame. It detailed his experiences in the drug trade and his encounters with various colorful characters, making him a cult figure and a symbol of counterculture.

In 1995, Marks was released on parole from a federal prison in the United States after serving seven years of his sentence. He returned to the United Kingdom and continued to advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana. He became a popular speaker at events and universities, sharing his views on drug policy and his personal experiences.

Howard Marks continued writing and published several more books, including “Señor Nice” (2006), a sequel to his autobiography, and “The Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories” (2001), a collection of drug-related anecdotes. He also made appearances in documentaries and on television, further cementing his reputation as an iconic figure.

Sadly, Howard Marks passed away on April 10, 2016, at the age of 70, after battling cancer. He left behind a legacy as a charismatic and controversial figure who transcended his criminal past to become a prominent voice in the drug policy reform movement.

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