Weed the People

This is a beautiful film dealing with one of the toughest subjects there is - childhood cancer - with light and grace and optimism. Well-researched but also utterly compassionate to the families involved. I went in thinking it would make me sob, but I left uplifted. Just beautifully crafted as a film.

Weed the People was well-received at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. It is a solid, if somewhat predicable, documentary on the absurdity of medical marijuana prohibition. While it is certainly possible for folks of goodwill to have differing opinions on wisdom of legalizing recreational marijuana, the argument for maintaining medical marijuana as prohibited Schedule 1 drug with zero medical benefits is increasingly ridiculous. The film focuses on telling the stories about half-a-dozen kids with cancer and their parents and the struggles to use marijuana to assist their children. My only concern was that at times they seemed to be delaying traditional treatments in favor of relying on marijuana as an alternative cure. The marijuana advocates often seemed to be experimenting with these kids lives and come dangerously close to practicing medicine without proper training and licensing. While there are certainly medicinal benefits to marijuana particularly in pain amelioration, I'm concerned to see it advocated as cure for cancer and other conditions since that has clearly not been shown by medical research (which the government has unfortunately severely restricted). There was something deeply problematic about the filmmakers use of anecdotal evidence to argue a scientific case. The film was well-made and well-edited. The storytelling was compelling. One questioner in the audience pointed out - correctly I think - that title, while funny, suggested a film that was more about recreational weed than a lot more serious issues involved in treating those with terminal illnesses. They might want to consider a new title or adding a subtitle.

I think the film did a great job of making several very important points: 1. Chemo is very hard on anyone. 2. Cannabis cannot hurt a person. 3. Cannabis helps lessen or eliminate side effects of Chemo. 4. Cannabis helps lessen the mental and physical pain of cancer. 5. Cannabis may increase the chances of a positive outcome for cancer patients. 6. The U.S. Government doesn't want the public to know the benefits of Cannabis. 7. There has been untold needless suffering because of the Government's refusal to use Cannabis. 8. The cost of medical grade Cannabis is outrages.

A few things the film does not tell you: 1. You can make your own Cannabis oil. The instructions are all over the net. 2. Homemade Cannabis oil will cost a fraction of medical grade oil. 3. Since Cannabis relaxes you, there is hardly an ailment or concern that will not be improve if you keep a low level of Cannabis in your system at all times. 4. I don't care how good a Dr. may be, a patient needs to take responsibility for his/her own care. The current state of medical care in the U.S. is such that no has the time to make absolutely sure patients are getting the best care possible. 5. If you know how to use Google, you have a ton of information available to learn what you need to know about any medical issue. If you care about yourself or your loved ones, you will become educated on the problems and the possible treatments, including natural product treatments.

This is not another hyped up, stoner, progressive, liberal leaning documentary. Though many of those have been affective or true, this one takes out every stigma of those movies and presents hard data and facts.

This movie is concrete, analytical and authentic. Those three elements bring about awareness of simple data, innovators, open-mindedness and a dense history.

It evokes equal feelings of happiness, sadness and confusion.

I believe I am very progressive, and this movie blew my mind and added many key tools to my advocacy tool belt. It is on every recommendation list I have. This is a tool and an educational piece, in the deepest most connective manner.

Well done.

I learned more about science in this episode than was expected.

This was fascinating and compelling. The story's always add an element of depth to a film like this.