The Trade

I've seen a lot of documentaries on drugs and addiction, and this series belongs at the top with the best of them.

Mathew Heineman (who also directed Cartel Land and City of Ghosts) delivers more evidence of his incredible talent for capturing difficult stories in dangerous places-while delivering perspectives from people caught right in the middle of it all.

At times this documentary series reminded me of the movie Traffic, with its dramatic ability to bring to life vastly different points of view inside the drug trade. (But this being non-fiction.) Growers, traffickers, law enforcement, drug users and many others are given time in this fascinating look into the many, many sides of the ongoing opioid epidemic.

Unlike a lot of recent documentaries that feel forced into a "series" format, The Trade brilliantly uses the time and space that its five-episode format provides. Also, drama doesn't feel forced or constructed, the characters are unique and memorable, and the editing is top notch.

I have seen a few doco's like this over the years, but this one is as raw as they get. I think drugs will always be part of the world we live in, but how to combat it so less people will die and less people make a living of it has so far been a losing battle. I don't see how humanity will come with a fix for this problem, unless Christ returns or these hard drugs are made legal and are manufactured and supplied in a controlled manner so people can be treated for their addiction/illness. The hard tactics as in jail time and policing it has only cost trillions of dollars and has not stopped people dying, the criminals all the way from those that manufacture, sell and distribute are the winners, including lots of corrupts officials that profit from the drug trade.

Now I am sure there will be lots of people that will say, how can you made drugs legal? Well the trillions of dollars that have been spent on this problem has not slowed this problem down, and will never ever solve this problem. Make it legal, treat it as an illness, manufacture these drugs cleanly, set up clinics where people can get their fix and get counseling, that way adictics won't have to resort to criminal activities, it will take the criminal element out of it.

But as much as I think it could be the way to slow this problem, even fix it in time, there are way to many high up people that profit from this and will oppose anything that could jeopardize their cut of the trade.

Anyway the doco is raw and has some real insight to this drug world. I even go as far to say that young people should sit down with their parents so they can see what happens when you go down the road of drug use.

10 out of 10.

You are NEVER going to change humans and their vices. I could barely get thru a quarter of this first episode. Season 1. Listening to the narration by the white do-gooder. The drug war demonstrated here is such a waste of effort and money. The crime and violence associated is ridiculous. I don't do drugs, but there should be a controlled way of producing and accessing it. Make it all locally, not imported. There is surely an element of control and greed behind the governments everywhere.

These cops bust some poor user over s 20 sack don't ever get big dealers drug war is a was of time. They act like heroes while they destroy lives of for people who need substance abuse classes not jail time. They need medical help not some over bearing. Cop calling them a junkie over a 20 sack f them. Those cops aren't heros they are collection agents for privately funded jails. I quit being a medic because of the crooked crap cops do to people jail on a dime bag out her in rehab. Its a wonder people hate cops lately even a lot of vets and medics like my self they use too much force not enough training and follow the letter of the law not its spirit F Them.

This documentary shows all of the angles of the drug trade via a high quality production. Very impressive.