Born in 1945 in a small Welsh coal-mining village, Howard Marks attended Oxford University where he earned a degree in nuclear physics. He has worked with the British Secret Service and has been connected with the Mafia, the IRA, MI6 and the CIA.

Busted in 1988 by the American Drug Enforcement Agency and sentenced to twenty-five years at America’s toughest penitentiary, he was released on parole in 1995 after serving seven years.

In 1996 he released his autobiography, Mr. Nice, which remains an international best seller.

During 1997, he performed his first live shows, which discussed his life as a marijuana smuggler and his views on drug use and legalisation, which continues to sell-out at venues throughout Britain and Europe.