Grass [Widescreen]

Hemp advocate Woody Harrelson narrates this fascinating documentary about the history of marijuana legislation in the United States - from its arrival at the turn of the century when it was bought across the border from Mexico, up until the era of the Clinton Administration. Particular attention is paid to the formation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the influence and legacy of its first Federal Commissioner- Anslinger. The program is divided into the war on drugs over the years, 1937-47, 1948-63, 1964-69, 1970-77, 1980-98 and defines the “official truth” about dope for the era (which covers a wide array of truths - linking it to degeneracy, heroin addiction, communism), and which strata of society was most associated with its usage at the time. What emerges is a political campaign that has increased from a $220 million dollar investment to a $214.7 billion one that continues on regardless. Archival ‘evidence’ of its damaging effects is provided from “dope” flicks such as “High on the range ” and “Reefer madness”, police training films, newsreel footage, Movietone News and media campaigns.