The Honorable Judge Thomas Gilbert would like to put his 15 minutes of fame as “the pot smoking judge” behind him. Once the punchline of late night comedians jokes, at 58, he now is clean, sober and changing people’s lives, one addict at a time.

The former district court judge was spotted smoking a joint at a November 2002 Rolling Stones concert, and was reported to court officials. He defied calls for his resignation, withstood the very public humiliation of a national and local media machine that loved dragging out the story of his hypocrisy in jailing people for doing exactly the same thing he did when the robe came off.

The Tom Gilbert that you will meet in this conversation, is a very different man. The incident brought his addiction to alcohol and marijuana front and center in his picture perfect life. An extended stay at a residential rehabilitation center not only cleaned him up but set his life on a new and far more fulfilling course. At 58, Tom Gilbert is spreading the word that recovery is possible. His story gives hope to anyone with a loved one suffering from addiction.

For full show notes, visit The Experience 50 Podcast website.