Super High Me

Before saying anything about this movie let me say this. I do not smoke pot.

I rented this movie thinking oh great, a funny stand-up doing material and thats what it was. A stand-up, who got all his stand-up friends to do little interviews about smoking pot. I gotta say, was laughing like crazy through most of it. But mixed in, was a lot of serious opinion and anger about government control of pot and clashes between state and federal laws.

If you are looking for something truly scientific and credible, this isn't it. If you are looking for a good time and don't mind some opinions, I highly highly recommend this movie. Doug Benson is funny as are his friends who appear and even the studies are funny.

Watch it, enjoy it, don't take it seriously!

While I agree that this is not the most political nor the most medically conclusive of documentaries, it seems to me that this misses the whole point of what the filmmakers were trying to do. There is no need for another "Grass" type documentary -- as that one already exists. Super High Me is a comedy first and a documentary second. And that's OK. More than OK, it might even be better, because it has the potential (since it is funny and entertaining as well as informative) to reach a wider audience and make more people aware of the entire medical marijuana issue, the existence of 'dispensaries' in California and the conflict between state and federal laws.

So is there another more activist documentary to be made about medical marijuana? Sure. But it would probably be boring and no one would really go see it. (Kinda like the fate of "Grass" for example.) This one is fun AND informative. And it will probably do very well and get more people talking about the issues, even more than if it were a "real" documentary.

It's 4/20 and I couldn't have found a more appropriate date to watch this movie. It stars comedian Doug Benson, who I knew from The Marijuana-Logues.

As Benson describes in the beginning of the film, the basic premise is like the one in "Super Size Me", but with pot instead of McDonald's.

He goes through 30 days of "detox" only to spend another 30 days smoking marijuana non-stop. He has 'tests' done, interviews a bunch of other comedians and his stand-up routines all intertwined with the 'experiment'. This makes for a nice, light-hearted, fun movie. There's offensive language, but it's what you'd expect from stand-up comedians.

Stoners will certainly find something to enjoy here. And although this movie is a comedy and Doug claims he just wants to get stoned, there are a few key moments in the film that show people who actually need medical marijuana and the ridiculous state of affairs in which the DEA violates state laws and makes things difficult for folks that are in pain - these moments are intense and sad. One can only hope this will change in the near future.

Had this movie turned into a more political direction, it would be deserving of a much higher mark, in my opinion. As it stands, it's a nice and funny movie about pot and I'm glad I had the chance to watch this today and celebrate.

Peace out, 8/10

This film is a lighthearted, funny, and wholesome presentation of (1) the conflict between state medical marijuana laws and federal anti-drug laws, and (2) the evidence that marijuana can't do you much harm. If you are steeped in cannabis culture or follow legal developments concerning medical marijuana, none of the information will be new to you. You already know that the war on drugs is out of step with the science about cannabis use, and you know the current state of the law affecting medical dispensaries. Benson is likable and wholesome, and the movie is pleasant and funny. Because the movie is not dense or righteous, it has the capacity to reach interested folks who aren't already in the know and don't want to hear a rant about legalization.

A semi-spoof documentary of Super Size Me, which explores a similar premise to the McDonald's movie, but exchanges burgers with 'medical' marijuana. The lead of this movie is the no2 cannabis comedian in the country - Gary Cohan. He goes through before and after tests, describes his ordeal and does stand-up in the meantime.

Only three things really stand out in this movie: - the short presentation of the situation of medical marijuana in California, where federal law is raping state law and DEA is closing down and arresting legal medical marijuana stores; - the interesting observation that marijuana seems to have improved psychic abilities :); - the fact that the stand-up comic is way funnier on marijuana than off it...

Apart from that the movie is rather a bore and you really feel that it is too long and unnecessary. I'll give you one thing - its absurd that McDonald's is legal, while marijuana is forbidden.