Podcast on IndyCar drug smuggler, Randy Lanier, Available Today

Randy Lanier

What: “Smoked" is a six-part podcast and multimedia series charting the extraordinary life of South Florida’s Randy Lanier as reflected in the cultural shift toward legal marijuana. He was a racing prodigy who rose to stardom at the Indy 500 while living a secret double life as one of the biggest pot kingpins in American history. In 1984, he won the International Motor Sport Association championship and was then named Rookie of the Year at the 1986 Indy 500. But off the track, Lanier’s secret life as a marijuana smuggler brought his lavish lifestyle to an abrupt half and landed him in prison until 2014.

Lanier's release and post-prison life offers a modern lens through which "Smoked" also examines society's changing relationship with marijuana, and the legacy of those already incarcerated for it. The world he’s in now, after nearly 30 years behind bars, is much friendlier to the plant that he was imprisoned for trafficking. Today, Lanier works with recovering addicts at a substance abuse treatment center in Florida.

Available When: The entire podcast and multimedia series are available today, July 16.

Who Produced: The podcast and multimedia series package is a collaboration between the Miami Herald and McClatchy Studios.

Available Where: All six episodes, which run roughly 30 minutes a piece, are available now on Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms. Companion text stories and videos are posted at miamaherald.com/smoked.

In the 1980s, the flow of illegal marijuana into South Florida was replaced by the more profitable — and more violent — cocaine trade. President Ronald Reagan sent a multi-district task force down to Miami to solve the problem.