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Charities Could Benefit If Denver Pot Shop Owner Gets Voted Onto 'Survivor'

DENVER (CBS4) - Charities are hoping people will vote for a Denver marijuana dispensary owner to get a second chance to compete on the CBS hit reality show "Survivor."

For the first time in the history of "Survivor," the fans will decide who gets to outwit, outlast and outplay their competitors for a chance to win the $1 million top prize on "Survivor: Second Chances." Fans pick the next 20 castaways from a group of 32 all-stars (16 men and 16 women) from seasons 1-30, and Denver's Jim Rice is hoping to make the cut.

Rice, owner of two High Level Health marijuana dispensary locations, says if he can get the people of Denver to support him, he's a shoe-in for a crack at the $1 million. And if he wins, he'll share his money with several charities he supports, and another that's chosen by the fans.

High Level Health
Jim Rice's High Level Health location on Lincoln Street in Denver (credit: CBS)

Right now Rice believes he's ranked anywhere from eighth to 12th in the voting and needs one final push to make it for sure.

"I'm on Facebook, I'm on Twitter, I'm everywhere that I could possibly be to get votes," Rice said. "And the thing is, if I can get Denver behind me, I know that I'll make it on the show."

Another way Rice is hoping to get the people of Denver to vote for him is he's offering an eighth of marijuana for $25 at his shops if customers say they voted for him.

"The marijuana thing is more accessible in Denver than it is in a lot of other states, but here in Denver we are definitely offering $25 eighths to anybody who comes in and says they voted for me," Rice said.

When Rice was a contestant on "Survivor: South Pacific" in 2011, he chose not to disclose to his fellow contestants that he was a pot shop owner because he thought it might work against him. But this time around Rice has no problem letting everybody know his profession, and he doesn't believe it will cost him votes.

"Attitudes have changed in the last four years towards marijuana. Four years ago I didn't tell anybody that I was a marijuana dispenser. Now I'm happy to tell people that because the attitudes across the country are more in support of full legalization than they were four years ago."

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Jim Rice at his High Level Health location on Lincoln Street in Denver (credit: CBS)

He also doesn't believe it will work against him with fellow contestants if he were to get voted on the show.

"I think that owning a dispensary and having the other contestants know that I own a dispensary is an advantage because I think that they'll underestimate me," Rice said.

While on "Survivor: South Pacific," Rice made a comment that the game can be played and won "honorably." Even though he still believes that to be true, he might not be so honorable this time around.

"I think this game can be played honorably, but I think you've got a better chance to win if you don't play it honorably," he said. "I plan to play this season a little bit differently than I played when I was on the first time. I plan on trusting people a lot less, and I will probably be a lot less trustworthy."

Rice says if he wins, he's not keeping all the money. He plans to donate $250,000 to his favorite charities.

"A million dollars is a lot of money, I don't need it all. So if I win I'm planning on giving away $250,000 of that to different charities that I'm already involved with -- Alzheimer's Association, breast cancer research, the North Shore Animal League, the March of Dimes; along with another $50,000 to whatever fans decide they want me to give it to."

Jim Rice
Jim Rice (credit: CBS)

"Survivor: Second Chances" will be played out in Cambodia, a place Rice hasn't been and is a little leery of visiting.

"Cambodia is hot, rainy, and there's lots of rats … Cambodia is a beautiful country, but I've never been there, but I'm looking forward to going."

With a little help from the people of Denver, he just might be.

"I know that the city of Denver is better than everybody else's hometowns, and I know if I can get the city of Denver behind me that there's not a chance of me not making it. So it only takes a minute to go vote, and the city of Denver will have a really strong representative in the next season of 'Survivor.' "

Click here to vote online once a day. Voting is also available on mobile devices.

The winners will be revealed during the season 30 live reunion show (May 20, 9 p.m. MT).

"I just really need people to vote, man," Rice said.

JIM RICE LINKS: Facebook | Twitter | Vote  

- By Matthew J. Buettner, CBSDenver.com

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