The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
Encyclopedia
The Union: The Business Behind Getting High is a 2007
documentary film
by Canadian filmmaker Brett Harvey.
in the United States
in the 1920s, suggesting that gang drug warfare and other negative aspects associated with marijuana are a result of prohibition, not the drug itself. The gangs that grow and traffic the drugs are likened to those that appeared in major U.S. cities during Prohibition, with the intention of profiting from the sale of illegal alcohol. The film answers many questions about marijuana, including the purported health effects of marijuana use, the Gateway drug theory, and what could happen if marijuana was legalized. The film also discusses the medicinal value of the marijuana plant and what the pharmaceutical industry stands to lose from marijuana legalization.
. Rotten Tomatoes movie critic, Kevin Carr, disagreed stating "problems with “The Union” stem from the overtly biased nature of the production" . Reviews from other critics were more favorable, including a 4 star rating from AMC film critic Pete Croatto who stated "The Union is more like a fiercely intelligent personal essay. And it works." , while Jason Buchanan of All Movie Guide reviewed the film and regarded it as "illuminating" and offering "fascinating insight". It was released on DVD
in the US on July 28th, 2009 .
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Canadian filmmaker Brett Harvey.
Synopsis
The film explores the illegal growth, sale and trafficking of marijuana. Its theatrical run was limited to film festivals. The film follows host Adam Scorgie as he examines the underground market, interviewing growers, police officers, criminologists, psychologists, economists, doctors, politicians and pop culture icons, revealing how the trade is booming despite being a criminal enterprise. The history of marijuana and the reasons for its present prohibition are discussed, often comparing it to the prohibition of alcoholProhibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 1920s, suggesting that gang drug warfare and other negative aspects associated with marijuana are a result of prohibition, not the drug itself. The gangs that grow and traffic the drugs are likened to those that appeared in major U.S. cities during Prohibition, with the intention of profiting from the sale of illegal alcohol. The film answers many questions about marijuana, including the purported health effects of marijuana use, the Gateway drug theory, and what could happen if marijuana was legalized. The film also discusses the medicinal value of the marijuana plant and what the pharmaceutical industry stands to lose from marijuana legalization.
Release & Reception
It opened in 30 International Film Festivals beginning with the Winnipeg International Film Festival on June 8th, 2007 . 93% of audiences like it according to Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Rotten Tomatoes movie critic, Kevin Carr, disagreed stating "problems with “The Union” stem from the overtly biased nature of the production" . Reviews from other critics were more favorable, including a 4 star rating from AMC film critic Pete Croatto who stated "The Union is more like a fiercely intelligent personal essay. And it works." , while Jason Buchanan of All Movie Guide reviewed the film and regarded it as "illuminating" and offering "fascinating insight". It was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the US on July 28th, 2009 .
Awards
- Best Editing at Rhode Island International Film FestivalRhode Island International Film FestivalFlickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit...
2007 - Outstanding Documentary Feature at Winnipeg International Film Festival
- Nominated for Leo Award for Best Overall Sound in a Documentary Program or Series, and Best Sound Editing in a Documentary Program or Series