Episode 233 - July 2026 Special
Episode 233 is the 31st episode of Season 4.
Today for the July special we travel to Panama to sit down with Fidel Muñoz, better known as El Tío, a legacy grower from Panama's Pearl Islands who witnessed firsthand the rise of what the world came to know as Panama Red. Born in 1948, El Tío shares a rare firsthand account of one of cannabis history's most iconic regions, reflecting on a lifetime shaped by the plant, the people who cultivated it and the dramatic changes brought by prohibition. The conversation is conducted through an interpreter, preserving an important piece of cannabis history in his own words.
We explore how cannabis transformed the Pearl Islands from an agricultural community into one of the world's most recognized producing regions, the rise and fall of Panama Red, the foreign buyers who arrived by sailboat, the realities of growing during the boom years and the impact of the War on Drugs. Along the way, El Tío reflects on the pride, hardship and resilience of the families behind one of cannabis' most legendary names while considering what the future might hold as legalization continues to spread.
El Tío does not maintain any public profiles, but if you enjoyed his story, be sure to read the feature article based on this interview in the Landrace Edition of Fat Nugs Magazine!
You can catch the audio as always on iTunes, Spotify, Audible, YouTube or at apt113.com.
Sit down, roll one up and enjoy the ride.
