Tag Archives: Weed

Movie Review: BREAKING HABITS

A nun at work providing support through cannabis.

Nuns are a group that we’ve come to perceive, especially in pop culture, as capable of anything. You just don’t mess with a nun. Expect the unexpected. And this idea proves true in the new documentary, Breaking Habits, written and directed by Rob Ryan. Not only do we have an inspiring story about nuns doing heroic things, we also have a fascinating look at where cannabis currently stands in the real world. Whether you support cannabis, are against cannabis, or fall somewhere in the middle, here is a documentary that tells it like it is and offers up various valid viewpoints.

Cannabis is a subject with plenty of gray area. What you’ll find in this documentary is that folks on all sides of the debate can potentially be pretty reasonable. Part of the problem is a legal one. As long as cannabis is caught within certain legal restraints, you have a messy situation. For example, the big problem our nuns face is trying to help those who can benefit from the medicinal benefits of cannabis while skirting the law. Currently, as is the case in Merced, California, a person can only own two cannabis plants and it is strictly for personal use only. However, as people see a golden opportunity to sell bumper crops, you regularly have violations of the two-plant limit. That is where our nuns find themselves: in direct violation of the law in favor of a higher calling. It’s a great business opportunity too but the risk of getting caught by law enforcement is just as great.

We follow the story of Christine Meeusen, from high-flying corporate executive to her new calling as Sister Kate, founder of the medical-marijuan empire Sisters of the Valley. We see Meeusen shed her former life, triggered by the outrageous actions of her former husband who left her and her family penniless. Sister. Healer. Grower. Meet Sister Kate, reborn rebel and founder of medical marijuana enterprise, Sisters of the Valley. Matter-of-factly, Sister Kate found a way out of her own despair and a came out the other side as a badass nun. Truth can indeed be stranger than fiction. Sister Kate’s troubles with the law are real. The embodiment to this, her nemesis per se, is the local sheriff who never met a cannabis plant or user he ever liked. But the law is the law and the case is made in a fair manner.

Most important is the crusade that Sister Kate and her nuns are on. She’s breaking new ground and, in time, others will follow. That is inevitable but we are dealing with current law. What needs to be understood better by everyone involved is the medical benefits of cannabis. Sister Kate and her disciples produce cannabidiol (CBD) products that treat cancer and other conditions, but despite their healing enterprise, continue to have a legal fight on their hands, along with dodging bullets from local drug kingpins.

Breaking Habits is a balanced look at where cannabis stands today in the real world and an inspiring story about a group of brave nuns. A worthy and entertaining documentary you won’t want to miss.

Breaking Habits will release in theaters and On Demand on April 19, 2019.

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Filed under Cannabis, Documentaries, Movie Reviews, movies

Review: SCOTLAND YARDIE by Bobby Joseph and Joseph Samuels

SCOTLAND YARDIE by Bobby Joseph and Joseph Samuels

SCOTLAND YARDIE by Bobby Joseph and Joseph Samuels

As we here in the States, along with the rest of the world, continue to deal with the orange menace, it’s good to gain strength from our friends across the pond. One thing that the creators of the graphic novel, SCOTLAND YARDIE, want you to know is that things are bad all over. Bobby Joseph and Joseph Samuels provide some dark humor for these hard times. This is a provocative work, set in south London, with a smart and gritty vibe.

Darkness fell...

Darkness fell…

No doubt, Bobby Joseph (script) and Joseph Samuels (art) make no bones about their dismay with the current (and ongoing) state of affairs. With such clownish characters in the media, and in government (gasp), stoking the fires of hatred, racism, and xenophobia with such intensity as we have not seen before in recent memory, any form of satire can be cathartic. In this case, we have a plot involving the Brixton Metropolitan Police in need of some diversity. Enter Scotland Yardie, a ganja smoking, no-nonsense “bad bwoy” cop who breaks all the rules to enforce his own harsh sense of justice. This is, by turns, a very silly comic (think Monty Python, for starters) and, ultimately, an eye-opening and worthwhile read.

Is that Brexit heartthrob Boris Johnson?

Is that Brexit heartthrob Boris Johnson?

This comic’s writer, Bobby Joseph, is considered to be the voice of urban UK comic books. He is credited as the creator of the cult comic classics Skank Magazine and Black Eye. He has written satirical pieces for Vice.com, Loaded Magazine, The Voice newspaper, BBC1’s Lenny in Pieces and Radio 4. He is credited on the BBC website as instrumental in featuring some of the “first comics by black creators featuring black characters.”

Some light emerges...

Some light emerges…

This comic’s artist, Joseph Samuels, is credited as one of the most popular comic artists to grace the pages of Skank Magazine and Black Eye. He is the co-creator of the popular Afro Kid comic strip on Vice.com.

SCOTLAND YARDIE is a 100-page, full color, graphic novel, published by Knockabout. For more information, and how to purchase, visit Knockabout right here.

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Filed under Bobby Joseph, Brexit, Cannabis, Comics, Donald Trump, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Joseph Samuels, Race, Race Relations, Racism, VICE

Cannabis and Comics: ‘The Circus of Reefer Madness’ Creator Interview; Kickstarter on thru 8/31

Circus of Reefer Madness

I bring to your attention a funny and thoughtful comic with a cannabis theme that I’m excited about. You can support the Kickstarter campaign running thru August 31st right here. The project’s creator, Jeremy Myers, has found a sweet spot for comics and cannabis fans alike with this mashup of humor, horror, and political commentary. Cannabis and comics do indeed mix, going at least as far back as the Sixties underground. Here is a new generation’s turn.

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Filed under Cannabis, Comics, Horror, Kickstarter, Marijuana, Satire

DVD Review: EVERGREEN: THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION

Evergreen-The-Road-to-Legalization

“A compelling, provocative and enlightening glimpse into the complex and sometimes contrary world of cannabis legalization in the United States. All of the controversy, infighting and emotion that is inherent in democracy is included in this fast moving example of what it takes to exact reform under the iron fist of pot prohibition. Any serious reformer, cannabis enthusiast or student of history will want to take the time to view this historic time capsule of a film.” – Vivian McPeak, Seattle Hempfest

Seattle’s annual Hempfest is this weekend, August 14 thru 16. It’s an exciting time for Hempfest as history continues to be made on the road to one day fully bringing to an end the prohibition of cannabis in the United States. With that in mind, there’s a great documentary on the initiative that made recreational marijuana legal in Washington state.

EVERGREEN: THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION is an essential documentary on the tangled road to legalized recreational marijuana in Washington state. We follow the key players and get an in depth look at the campaign for, and against, Washington Initiative 502 (I-502) “on marijuana reform,” an initiative to the Washington State Legislature, which appeared on the November 2012 general ballot.

Keep in mind that medical marijuana is a different issue. There are 23 states in the U.S. that have legalized it starting with California in 1996. Washington state legalized it in 1998. The distinction is all the more significant given that the push to legalize recreational marijuana would end up threatening the position of medical marijuana. This is where the conflict arises among folks who would seem to be on the same side. A great focus for the opposition to I-502 was its nearly zero tolerance provision regarding driving under the influence of marijuana. This placed medical marijuana users in a no-win situation no matter how well they might argue against it.

This is a lesson in politics as much as marijuana. In order to make this initiative palatable to the average voter, the creators of I-502 believed that sacrifices and compromises had to be offered up. What the documentary makes clear in various segments is that the I-502 machine was geared to be the best possible chance to pass reform. This means victories by increments. And it also means making a case that will appeal to the widest audience.

Now with the stage set, there are three main figures that keep this political drama interestng. On the I-502 side, we have two charismatic leaders: Alison Holcomb who represents the legal work behind crafting the intiative; and Rick Steves who helps the campaign by taking from his capital as a well-known travel expert and allows himself to be the face of I-502. If the opposition had a face, it was definitely that of John McKay, a longtime advocate of medical marijuana.

We find Mckay is a somewhat disagreeable personality but consistent and quite reasonable. What he has is an authentic connection to the subject. Both Holcomb and Steves make no bones about not being cannabis users. Only in a documentary like this do you have the luxury of being able to scrutinize that disconnect. In one segment, we see Steves playing to a conservative crowd in Eastern Washington. He caters to their prejudices by saying in a mocking way, “Hey, if I want to hit my bong and stare at the fireplace for the next three hours, that’s my right.” This gets hearty applause. The damage continues to be done in regards to any real education on marijuana. However, a number of vital votes may have been won that night.

We see Holcomb in another segment in a similar mocking way suggesting she should create a marijuana leaf design on the top of her latte. If she knew anything about marijuana, she would have been able to speak to marijuana’s sativa strain being a great alternative to caffeine. No, instead, the lattes she regularly consumes are quad shots with considerably jittery results as opposed to the clean and non-jittery high of cannabis.

And so it goes, we find that the I-502 supporters are not there to fully embrace weed. But that is, oddly enough, perhaps all for the best to get things done. The motivation for change is simple and compelling: the tragic number of people in jail for simply possessing small amounts of marijuana. And these numbers are significantly African-American. I-502 would prove to be a less than perfect solution. But, after it won voter approval, it immediately helped in changing how we make criminals, and ruin the lives, of many people. Prior to the effective date for the new referendum, 220 marijuana cases were dismissed in King and Pierce counties. No one can argue with that kind of progress. However, the imperfections and compromises of I-502 will lead to the end of medical marijuana dispensaries by 2016. Not a small price to pay for the sake of progress.

How do you stand on the issue of marijuana? This documentary will help in getting a better sense of the legal fight still ahead. For now, we can take some solace on progress being made. I will provide you with coverage of this year’s Seattle Hempfest. So, come back for that and a whole lot more. After viewing this documentary, it adds to the enthusiasm to witness and be part of the social change all around us here in Seattle.

EVERGREEN: THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION is available now on DVD with plenty of bonus material including a resource guide for helping support the fight for marijuana’s legitimacy. Go to the official website right here.

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Filed under Cannabis, Marijuana, politics, pop culture, Seattle, Seattle Hempfest

Seattle Focus: Dockside Cannabis and Marijuana in the Marketplace

dockside-cannabis-recreational-marijuana-seattle.jpg

A really interesting thing is going on right under many folks’ noses. Whatever your views on marijuana, it is undeniable that history is being made as a huge shift is gaining momentum. The notion that someday marijuana will be on par with alcohol in the marketplace is working its way into reality. Just consider Dockside Cannabis, a very attractive and professional new retail store for recreational marijuana. Located in Shoreline, a suburban area north of Seattle, the store had its grand opening on December 6, 2014, with a whole new way of doing business and bringing about a whole new way of seeing marijuana as something as familiar and relaxing as a glass of wine at the end of the day.

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Filed under Dockside Cannabis, Marijuana, pop culture, Seattle, Travel, Trends