How did Watson acquire the funds to found Hortapharm? After some research it shows Watson wasn't only involved in illegal weed growing in the USA, but in Holland too. Not weedgrowing as a hobby, but on a grand scale, a business worth millions.
It was clear the Dutch Wietgrowers caught a big fish with getting David Watson on board. A man fascinated by the secrets of the cannabis plant. A man on a mission, convinced of the blessings of cannabis.
Like every American, he thought big. Just like Michael Taylor, also known as Michael Rich. They became companions, throwing themselves on the big scale growing of nederwiet.
Wernard Bruining declined. "It became too big and too fanatic. They wanted to be the best and biggest, which wasn't necessary for me."
It was annoying for him though that two of his greenhouses were busted shortly after wards. A coincidence, the police told him, they just happened to come across it. "But it was the first time they busted a big greenhouse. Before that they had never managed to do so"
In the summer two big sites where busted, the third empty upon arrival. Various employees where arrested, Watson and Taylor stayed out of sight. In the "us knows us" world of growing they were already for some time known as people who pulled the strings. Shortly after wards stories circulated the two Americans had started again. Within a few months they had set up a new greenhouse. This one was busted too, but again no sign of the Americans.
Were they simply too smart, or was it something else, something invisible (untouchable)?
No one paid too much attention to it. There were suspicions, but the were erased when the two continued a few years later, undisturbed.
It was the era when partially thanks to Watsons' seed, Holland's masses switched to nederwiet.
It became an internationally recognized product, the new pearl of the dutch horticulture.
But in 1992 the calm tide turned, when in the vicinity of Tilburg two massive growsites were busted, with according to the police 40.000 plants.
Sirens, squat teams, broken doors and a lot of screaming. Two of the approximately fifteen suspects broke down practically straight away under questioning and mentioned the name Watson as the big man and investor behind the wiet operation. Justice didn't act. Didn't ask questions about him, didn't even investigate the large amount of funds which apparently left the country via Luxemburg.
Watson was and remained, to the surprise of many, a free man and founded Hortapharm that same year.
