On The Air

“Radical” Russ Belville began his radio career as the winner of the 2006 national contest, The Search for the Next Great Progressive Talk Star, beating out over 500 contestants from across the country. Russ parlayed that win into a two year talk radio program on XM Satellite Radio, “Radical” Russ—Red State Refugee, that also aired on AM 620 KPOJ in Portland, Oregon.

Russ began podcasting in 2008 as The Voice of the Marijuana Nation for the NORML Daily Audio Stash, the daily podcast of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws out of Washington, D.C., following his volunteer work for marijuana legalization beginning in 2005 for Oregon NORML in Portland, Oregon. In 2011, Russ transformed the show into NORML SHOW LIVE, one of the first livestream radio programs on marijuana legalization.

In 2012, Russ left NORML and began The Russ Belville Show, the flagship program of 420RADIO, a 24-hour internet radio stream featuring marijuana reform podcasts from around the country. Russ also produced a second hour, Toker Talk Radio, one of the first marijuana programs to take live callers. The show underwent two format changes, in 2018 becoming The Marijuana Agenda to broaden the focus from legalization to include culture, religion, and industry, and later in 2020 becoming The “Radical” Russ Belville Show to focus on Russ’s campaigns to reform Idaho’s marijuana laws.

In Real Life

“Radical” Russ Belville was born during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War, an elder Gen-X white boy from Nampa, Idaho. Russ was a precocious youth, graduating with honors from Nampa High School, where he formed The NHS Radicals, the genesis of his nickname (it’s 80s radical, not 60s radical), an unofficial senior fraternity that successfully changed school dress codes. Russ is a multi-instrumentalist who excelled in band (serving as marching band drum major), drama, and academics. Russ was also the first mascot for the Nampa High Bulldogs.

Russ attended college at Boise State University, where he continued as the understudy for the Broncos’ mascot in the final year that Boise State had a green football field. Russ pursued music in college and professionally, becoming a singer and bass player for successful rock, blues, R&B, and hip-hop groups playing in Pacific Northwest clubs throughout the 1990s.

Russ also served in Idaho National Guard’s 25th Army Band, earning citations and awards for Soldier of the Year (1985), Idaho Service Ribbon, NCO Development Ribbon, and Outstanding Unit Award. Russ played bass, bassoon, bass clarinet, and sousaphone. Russ was honorably discharged at the rank of SGT (E5).

At the dawn of the 21st century, Russ became a highly-sought expert in database analysis, contracting with firms all across the United States to install, convert, and analyze database deployments. After two years of coast-to-coast weekly travel, Russ moved to Portland, Oregon, and became a technical software trainer.

As Russ’s radio and podcasting career hit its stride, Russ and his ladylove, life partner Lori Duckworth, created Delta-9 House in 2017, one of North America’s first legal cannabis-friendly bed & breakfasts. In 2018, they expanded to Eastern Oregon with Delta-9 Cabins, four cannabis-friendly log cabin rentals in a mountain recreation town.

Both Russ and Lori were instrumental in the introduction and passage of numerous ordinances and laws concerning medical and recreational marijuana. From 2005–2018, the duo focused their work in Oregon—Russ working with Oregon NORML in Portland on patient access meetings (dispensaries before legal dispensaries), medical cannabis judging contests, the Portland Global Marijuana March, and Lori leading Southern Oregon NORML in Medford, running a patient access center (dispensaries before legal dispensaries) and lobbying the state legislature. Both have been featured speakers at cannabis reform events all throughout the United States, with Russ also having spoken in Canada, England, and Jamaica.

In 2018, Russ and Lori ventured back into Idaho to work on the 2020 Idaho Medical Marijuana Act. the citizen initiative to have made the most progress to the ballot of any attempt made, prior to COVID-19 lockdowns shutting down the signature gathering at 80% of the requirement.

Undeterred, they tried again in 2020, with Russ’s father as the Chief Petitioner for another medical marijuana for 2022 and Russ himself as Chief Petitioner for PAMDA, a novel decriminalization act that legalized possession of legal marijuana bought from out-of-state. Unfortunately, Idaho is determined to be the last state to maintain marijuana prohibition and neither initiative gained traction.

Russ and Lori now reside in the mountains of Josephine County, Oregon, caring for their two chihuahuas, Kenny & Suzie, and doting on her young grandkids and great-grandkids (yes, they’re a Gen-X couple with great-grandkids).