Marijuana Nation - Documentary

[darkrail]

Saw it last night. I didn't agree with every "fact" they claimed, but on the whole it was a really solid piece.

I also watched their sister documentary about the hard drug that starts with the letter H. It aired right afterwards. What a heartbreaking story that one was. I don't know anyone who uses H (or at least I don't know about it if they do), but it looked like such a devastating thing. I felt so sad for the couple that was passed out in the park near the end. If there was ever any chance of me trying some H just out of curiosity, this documentary killed it dead.

Comparatively, their cannabis documentary might as well be labeled "pro-pot." It ends with a great summary that went something like this:

[SPOILER ALERT!]

They show some cannabis seeds in a guy's hand and say, "If someone handed you some seeds, and told you they would grow a plant that could provide clothing and paper, help cure sickness and depression, and intoxicate; would you throw them away?"

Awesome closing line!

 

[420]

thanks bee, but i don't encourage piracy...
therefore i'd rather have someone upload it to youtube, we can view it that way...
thanks for your support!

 

[sdseeber]

They show some cannabis seeds in a guy's hand and say, "If someone handed you some seeds, and told you they would grow a plant that could provide clothing and paper, help cure sickness and depression, and intoxicate; would you throw them away?"

Awesome closing line!

"So if a stranger walked up to you and poured pebble-like seeds into your hand and then said, plant them and your harvest can be made into rope, cloth, or paper. It could help the sick, or intoxicate. What would you say? Would you keep the seeds or chuck them away?"

Much better when you hear it like they said it with enunciation...best closing to a documentary ever!

 

[McBudz]

I saw it last night. Nice piece. I like Lisa Ling's documentaries. I felt like it was a very fair representation on MJ.

It's on again Tuesday night at 10PM (est I assume?)

here is the link:

Explorer: Marijuana Nation

 

[michaelkaer]

Documentaries get the message out much better than "stoner movies". Why do you think Michael Moore is so hated by many people? He tells the truth in sometimes a funny manner, but his docs get seen over and over for content, where as the "stoner movies" get seen for entertainment.

I have seen more hemp and pot docs in the last couple years due to the upswell of support. I second the motion to get this on youtube.

 

[Keith Lake]

Saw it last night. I didn't agree with every "fact" they claimed, but on the whole it was a really solid piece.

I agree with Darkrail - pretty fair and solid piece.

Worst whopper = that Fed that said growers yield 1 pound per plant indoors.

I also watched their sister documentary about the hard drug that starts with the letter H. It aired right afterwards.

The one right before was about the hard drug that started with an M.

Unbelievably brutal. Teeth falling out from M Mouth, facial changes, extreme paranioa to the extent of delusion, and the toxic residue from labs requiring hazmat if they don't otherwise explode and burn down the neighborhood.

Showinf the Cannabis documentary in between these two other horrors had the contrasting effect of further emphasizing how safe and mild cannabis use is, in my opinion anyway.

 

[obiwannatokie]

I saw half of it and the lack of objectivity started to make my blood boil so I don't know if I will be finishing it. I guess it is decent for a mainstream documentary but they gave way too much time for the drug warriors and their bullshit propaganda. Skunk and schizophrenia, more potent than your grandpa's 60's weed, not empathizing that you cannot overdose from cannabis, referencing junk studies etc. I am really disappointed in National Geographic, this is the kinda of thing I can expect to be produced by a corporate news company like CNN or BBC, I thought National Geographic was better than that. It was fair in the first 10 minutes and it went downhill from there and fell into the same sensationalistic sand traps other mainstream docs fall into. I give it a 4.5 out of 10.

 

[michaelkaer]

Obiwan has some valid points, BUT the fact that they are giving it ANY attention is a good sign in my book.

 

[Keith Lake]

You may want to move this to the TV section....

regards
soniq420

 

[Keith Lake]

bump

 

[Fumado]

I saw half of it and the lack of objectivity started to make my blood boil so I don't know if I will be finishing it...

Obiwan,

I'm in my 50's so maybe my perspective is different than yours, but I think that their portrayal of the consumers as regular people overshadows the negatives you mention. I think you should finish watching it.

Of course this is from memory, and maybe I remembered only the good/interesting stuff...

 

[obiwannatokie]

Obiwan,

I'm in my 50's so maybe my perspective is different than yours, but I think that their portrayal of the consumers as regular people overshadows the negatives you mention. I think you should finish watching it.

Of course this is from memory, and maybe I remembered only the good/interesting stuff...

That makes me 30 years younger than you, in my experience people in your generation have been even more pessimistic and cynical than me on this subject. I have been told by them that they expected cannabis to be decriminalized/legal by the end of the 1970s and now they believe they will not live to see the day when it does happen. When I replied that I was pretty sure that I would see that day in my lifetime I was called an optimist.

I did end up watching a lot more but I still stand by my earlier comments, though I have to admit it was good to hear some of our side in a mainstream documentary but I doubt this doc. is going to change anyone's opinions on to our side.

 

[Happy Kitty]

I've been smoking longer than you've been born, and I think "them" have just lived a few decades longer, and have seen and experienced more.

So maybe being cynical comes with age. In the 70's we thought legalization was just around the corner, and here we sit. Keep in mind that is usually "them" that have the guts to speak out at all. Why is that?
And that's exactly why 420 is here, to spread cannabis awareness throughout the world. We will see it legalized, but how far away are we from that right now?

Many of us have lived our lives under the scrutiny of our government and others around us. So maybe just being longer in the tooth makes us see things more clearly. Please don't group an entire generation into pessimists. I'm an optimist, but I'm a realist too.

So if you want to show "them" just what you can do...then please do. "We" can use all the help we can get.
Now where's my cane...
Peace and clarity

 

[Fumado]

That makes me 30 years younger than you, in my experience people in your generation have been even more pessimistic and cynical than me on this subject.

Obiwan, like HappyKitty, I too am an optimist. Everything takes time, especially when it comes to changing laws and minds. The US is a puritanical backward country when it comes to moving forward on anything, especially something controversial. Canada has gay marriage and they've decriminalized marijuana posession (someone correct me if I'm wrong). In California they HAD gay marriage, but the Mormons spent millions of dollars and scared people to have it voted down.

In Washington DC, the citizens voted for medical marijuana several years ago, but the Republican majority in congress wouldn't even allow the city to count the votes. Imagine that, citizens of this country gathering signatures to get something on the ballot, holding an election, only to have the evil overloards nullifying the democratic process. I'll bet a good number of those in congress who voted with the majority smoke weed all the time.

But, I'm still optimistic, because we have a new President, and attitudes are changing. It will never be fast enough for you or me, but we have to all keep working on it...especially by voting out all the hypocrites and the religious zealots who's only goal is to stop progress at every turn.

[soapbox /off]

 

[obiwannatokie]

I did everything in my power to defeat prop. 8 but when the opposing side has millions of dollars invested in a statewide propaganda campaign there is little that you can do. A 55% majority opposition to Prop. 8 became a 48% minority opposition after months of televised propaganda. I lost some faith in the human race after that election.

Prop. 5 a expansion of an already successful drug reform legislation got shot down as well that day after the prison guards union invested two and a half million into their propaganda campaign. Waking up that day to the results of prop. 5 & 8 made me die a little inside.

 

[Dr. 215]

First off marijuana was going to be decriminalized in the 70's by Jimmy Carter. Then at that time there was a huge increase on drug flow into America, the real hard drugs though like H and C, people were dying. So there was no way President Carter could do this at that point and instead increased penalties on marijuana and all illegal drugs.

I think you are mistaken. Carter was killed before he could decriminalize and or legalize. He never got the chance... He didn't just change his mind.

 

[obiwannatokie]

I think you are mistaken. Carter was killed before he could decriminalize and or legalize. He never got the chance... He didn't just change his mind.

Dude, Carter is still alive today, there is a picture of him with Obama. Or do you mean killed, figuratively?