In the new world of weed only the strong survive and Matt Shotwell, the merchant marine turned reality TV star with a 28-toed cat and a gold chrome tour bus, isn’t giving up yet. When his Discovery Channel show Weed Country debuted in 2013, Shotwell was facing eight years in prison for running Vallejo, California’s biggest and most infamous illegal dispensary. He dodged that bullet when the charges against him were dismissed later that year. By the time Prop 64 hit ballots, he was back on his feet and trading in on his fame. 2018 was supposed to be his year. Instead, failed crops, a distribution deal gone wrong, and mounting debts nearly took him out of business altogether.