420: The Documentary (2013) Online

We need all 90 minutes, and even more, to understand the drug which so prophetically divided the country.

420 The Documentary is well researched, packed with real footage and loaded with eloquent observations.

Being a teenager myself, I am aware of how popular the drug is and the effect that it has on people. I thought that I already knew about marijuana, and the controversy over making it legal; federal laws and state laws conflicting..etc. Watching this film opened my eyes and made me realize that I really didn't know the truth about the deception and corruption that goes way beyond the news cameras and newspaper articles.The "war on drugs" has become the longest and most costly war in American history- my tax dollars are spent on stupid commercials like a cute anti-drug dog, or a stick figure cartoon with word bubbles and depressing music. I had no idea that when I went to my minimum wage job that I was working for the government to spread lies using MY money!! I think that this film is a definite eye-opener and I would recommend it to ALL AGE GROUPS.

I consider the time that I spent watching this documentary a great investment, and I cant wait to talk about it with my friends and co workers after they've watched it as well.

Does a great job exposing how society has been duped, over and over by political interests. This would be a great film for both the young and older generations to watch together - it covers the gamut of today's youth, freely smoking pot at 420 events, but then shows numerous victims who have been arrested and even shot for mere possession of pot!

Then, the film takes everyone on a historical journey that spans from the 30s to current day. It is obvious that our federal government has misled society with regard to whether marijuana has any medicinal properties. Clearly - it does, yet the DEA and other government agencies continue to suppress that information. 420 shatters the concept that our current pot policy is one that any rational person can continue to support.

I saw this in San Francisco, and am excited to hear that it's coming out on itunes. My boyfriend and I left the screening in silence, blown away by the reality of what our system has become. WTF is going on in this country when kids are getting shot over weed possession? When another couple offered to bring us along to the screening, we reluctantly agreed with the promise of margaritas at Don Ramon's afterward. Little did we expect to be captivated as we were.

We didn't believe that there were people serving life for weed charges!! After seeing this movie, we did some research and it is astounding to learn how many people are in prison behind this. I am not your typical marijuana advocate. My boyfriend has an occasional toke, but he's no pothead. The horrors uncovered in this movie have us completed floored.

PARENTS force ideas on children without any actual background knowledge of the history of marijuana and how it has become this blown out of proportion gateway drug, leading our youth to other hard core drugs, addiction, and convincing them that if they smoke weed, they will most certainly end up choosing to rob liquor stores over a college education.

LAW MAKERS do not consider actual ramifications of policies they put in place.... only counting money and votes.... and eventually bodies as a result of their absurd policies.

MEDIA personalities continue to use their voice to sell us on their personal opinions, without first educating themselves on such important issues. Do they realize that "Dick and Jane American" hang on to their every word and base their own life decisions on what the media spits at us? Of course they do!

Why then, don't people like Tina Brown see that acknowledging the injustice of marijuana policies has clearly gone too far is not an admission of advocating drugs in our nation. Instead, Brown will go to twitter, claiming that ... "Legal weed contributes to us being a fatter, dumber, sleepier nation even less able to compete with the Chinese."

Did she really take it there?

News Flash Tina-- China doesn't imprison nearly as many people as we do. Someone should buy Tina a copy of 420: The Documentary when it comes out in April.

420 the Documentary is not the predictable pro-legalization fare one might expect by the name. It's better described as a chronicle of the relationship between marijuana and the US legal system over eight decades. The facts are broadly based and well constructed as they debunk the myths underpinning our nation's drug policy. Our household is made up of two adults at polar ends of the social and political spectrum. One of the few things on which we can agree is that we prefer to draw our - usually very different - conclusions based on truth not fiction. 420 the Documentary offers facts from a variety of sources on which a meaningful conversation can be centered.

I loved this documentary. I was already well aware of some of the issues raised which may have come as surprising new information to some...for example the fact that research on the medical applications and benefits of marijuana have been systematically discouraged, even banned outright so that any MD or researcher looking for facts will have to rely on foreign universities. I already knew the destructive power that even a minor drug charge decades old can have on the ability of young people to lead a normal life and have a productive career. I also have heard a number of judges, Fed agents, prison officials voice (behind closed doors and in confidence) the opinion that the rigid regulations and witch hunting practices of the drug war were counter productive, promoted corruption among law enforcement, lying on the part of informants, over aggressive prosecutions....and left thousands of peripheral, non violent participants and their families and children with ruined lives, forever marginalized. This documentary is the first time I have seen law enforcement people say clearly that they felt many of those they lured and then arrested would have become contributing members of society and productive IF they had never been arrested. For the first time, 420 lays out clearly through honest interviews the fact that a great number of those behind bars could be us or our kids...just experimenting or helping a friend or dating the wrong man. The majority are not gun toting, wild eyed narco terrorists but thanks to mandatory minimums, guidelines and a variety of "one size fits all" laws, they will serve sentences, often decades long, reserved for "kingpins". If and when they make it back to their community, they will find themselves barred from most professional employment, in practice if not by law. 420 also shows the risks that doctors run just for trying to provide patients with what they believe is the most compassionate and best care. All in all 420 manages to be a very informative and gripping film while also being entertaining and a pleasure to watch.

I was excited to watch this after seeing positive reviews and being a relatively newer marijuana documentary. After about 30 minutes in, I became bored with how much recycled information there is, the cheesy college kids finishing each other sentences and fake naiveness about weed myths. The overall flow of this documentary was awful. It was somewhat chronological but was making unrelated arguments making the points less effective. Seems like a videography college project. Apparently I need 10 lines minimum so I'll babble on about my opinion of this documentary more. I enjoy pot documentaries, especially Super High Me, The Culture High, and The Union (minus the host).

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about a certain topic, such as pot, along comes a film that makes you realize you didn't know squat! This may seem really crazy to some, but I had never heard of the term "420" until now. I even work in the music industry and had never heard of 420 - how is that possible? I'm perplexed that something that is so widely known and celebrated has escaped my attention and life so completely. OK, maybe it's because i'm not a smoker, a toker or hang out with stoners - but still. A friend of mine did the sound mix for this film and was telling me about it, then invited me to a screening and I was really impressed with the quality of the film and editing, not to mention the sound. The life story of the producer is also fascinating, but i realize this space is reserved for reviews of the film so I'll refrain from expounding on the fact that the producer was inspired to make the film due to her own experience with the drug war and prison sentence… Another thing I did not know is that the DEA refuses to move marijuana from a Sch 1 drug (reserved for the most dangerous) to a Sch 2 or 3 or even 4, which is reserved for drugs that DO have medicinal benefits. I'd never really given any serious thought to why pot is illegal on the federal level vs. state. Now I do - it's because the DEA is committing fraud upon the American people on a daily basis! Anyone in prison for pot should be released simply based upon the fact that we have been lied to and manipulated for over 40 years now. After watching this film, I am completely convinced that I too need to raise my voice and become more involved in the movement to legalize marijuana and end the drug war.

I must admit from the onset that I'm a personal friend and fellow female filmmaker. We women film directors are as rare as flying diamond encrusted unicorns so for that reason alone, I would urge you to see this important documentary - however, I can honestly say that my review of this film is not biased - it is an extremely relevant film that drives home all the reasons why we are currently witnessing - for the first time - an epic shift in consciousness as the truth finally emerges about marijuana, which has been suppressed by our gov't for over 70 years. But this films not solely about pot - it also addresses the mammoth toll that the drug war has inflicted upon our society which has given our great nation the inglorious prestige of being the world's largest jailer of its own citizens! For those who don't know, Amy, who directed/wrote/produced this incredible and important documentary about the insanity of our current drug laws was falsely imprisoned under those laws and pardoned by President Bill Clinton, her wisdom on this topic is as hard won as any wisdom you can have, and it is reflected in this film which covers a range of disturbing trends as one administration after another increases the drug war budget and enforces old stereotypes in an effort to justify an extremely harmful policy and war mentality.

Got to see the 420 Documentary the other night and was thoroughly impressed. This documentary is both educational and entertaining and I must say, I learned a lot about a topic that I thought I was fairly well informed on. I would urge anyone who hasn't made up their mind about whether pot should be legalized to see this film. It is truly frightening to see what has occurred over the years in the name of marijuana prohibition. Talk about stuck on stupid! It is horribly disturbing to see the history of a plant that we NOW know is quite possibly, a life saver for any number of illnesses.

I was struck by the many victims who have fallen prey to our marijuana drug laws. We can no longer justify the incarceration, harassment and/or vilification of citizens who want to use a substance that is less harmful than tobacco and alcohol. Indeed, it is the only substance that has a myriad of medicinal properties that have been suppressed by the federal government for far too long. Unfortunately, I still know people who are not very well informed about the myths and truths of marijuana and to date, I believe this documentary does the best job of making the case that it's time for REAL CHANGE.

Go see 420 - The Documentary. You'll enjoy it.

I don't normally write reviews, but I want this film to rise to the top of an endless onslaught of documentaries that are being belched out for no good reason. I am so sick of these copy cat films about how to feel good, finding happiness, the search for the meaning of life, who am I, where am I, and on and on. If I see one more documentary about the universe and where love comes from I'm going to puke! I like documentaries that are not pure conjecture with a myriad of pundit-people opining about the meaning of life - ENOUGH!!!

If I'm going to take time out of my day to watch a documentary, I'd like to learn something and come away with information I can share with others in a meaningful way. I had no idea that Nixon created a regulatory scheme and placed pot into a category for drugs that is reserved for the most dangerous and addictive of ALL DRUGS - and by definition, has no medicine properties. And if that wasn't bad enough, the commission he created to perform a study to determine where pot would be scheduled, headed by a guy name Shafer, stated that pot should be DECRIMINALIZED!!! So marijuana has been mis-classified from the get-go!

What's worse, is that since that time, there hasn't been a single president with the balls to address this travesty and move cannabis into a category of drugs that does have medicinal properties. If that were done - the feds could no longer claim that federal law trumps state law - it's that simple people! I never fully understood the federal vs state debate as to why federal law took precedent over state - or even what the federal law was!!! i don't think most people do understand this - but it's as simple as moving pot from a Schedule 1 drug and placing it in a Schedule 2 category with other drugs that DO have medicinal properties, yet are still illegal - such as cocaine and meth! Can you believe that our federal gov't is relying on the concept that pot is more dangerous than meth in order to exert their power and control over the states.

That is just one of many, many tidbits 420 covers in this film that are eye-opening, informative and mind boggling. I can't tell you how many people i talk to that have never even heard the term 420!!! and this film explains the origins of the term - it's entertaining, informative, a perfect blend that convinced me to take the time to write this review. Go see it.

I attended a private screening of the documentary 420 last night and must say, I woke up still thinking about it - which is typically a good sign with regard to movies - especially when the film has such an positive impact, you want to share it with others.

I spoke with the director of the film to see if there are any plans to screen the film in northern California, because if there isn't, I will volunteer my time and energy to make it happen. So many people come to mind that should and will see this film.

420 does a phenomenal job in making the case that the marijuana prohibition laws are responsible for all the damage with respect to marijuana victims. The greatest crime is the one that has been committed upon the citizens of this country by the federal government that continues to cover up the fact that marijuana was NEVER supposed to be placed in a Schedule 1 category. In the 70s the Schafer Commission was created to determine this very deliberation by the Nixon administration and not only did it conclude that marijuana did not belong in Schedule 1 (which is reserved for drugs with no medicinal properties) they determined that pot should be "decriminalized." It is mind boggling that 40 years later, over 20 states in this country have passed medical marijuana laws and yet, the federal government continues to argue that pot has no medicinal value and moreover, that the federal gov't trumps state laws. Some of the footage of the federal gov't's abuse, with regard to raiding and arresting law abiding citizens was very disturbing, especially since I live in Northern CA, which was hit so hard by the Oakland raids, not to mention the landlords who have been threatened with foreclosure by the federal gov't.

I could go on and on because the film did such a great job of covering the history of pot, but I've probably already given away a few key points that would be more powerful if seen by viewers, rather than read in any review. I hope this film will be available for the mass populace soon, because they sooner people see it, the sooner we can change the minds of the final die hards who simply don't understand the true history of pot and that legalization is the only answer for the future.

I attended a private screening of 420 - The Documentary and learned more about pot than I ever could have imagined. First, I'd like to make it clear that I am in my 70s and always believed the lies our government has been disseminating for decades, up until a few years ago, when I finally conceded that pot has legitimate medicinal properties. Even still, I thought the bad most probably outweighed any good and that most people were exaggerating the medicinal benefits in order to smoke it for recreational use. I also held on to the belief that smoking pot causes potential brain damage for those who smoke excessively. I could not remember exactly why I believed this or where I learned it, until I watched 420 and was transported back in time. Although I am still a big fan of President Reagan, I was disturbed over some of his remarks about marijuana being the most "dangerous drug" of all the recreational drugs, including cocaine and heroin. I honestly believe that many of us who are in my age group swallowed what we were told, hook, line and sinker - without questioning whether there was a hidden agenda attached to the propaganda that has been coming out of D.C. for many years. This film made a strong case that we are truly stuck in a pattern of being misled by our politicians, by sharing snippets of their commentary and how each president has kept pot in a Schedule 1 classification for the most dangerous of all drugs. I did not know this at all until i saw 420. I feel as if our government has done everyone a grave disservice by misleading the citizens of this great nation for over 70 years and I am shocked that pot is treated as if it is more harmful than the more obvious, addictive drugs, like heroine. I liked the story of Bernie Ellis - that sealed it for me. The idea that our gov't is spending my tax dollars to harass an elderly, nice man who has always done so much good for/in his community just made my blood boil!

I am conservative, middle-aged and frankly, drug laws and the drug war were quite off my radar. However, I did have many friends in college who smoked pot...probably sold a little pot here and there. Luckily for them and probably for society, they never were arrested and never fell into the justice system..they are now normal hard working professionals with families and decent careers. This documentary made me realize that, had they not been lucky, they, their friends and family members lives might have been permanently blighted...probably to no good purpose. Most middle aged working Americans like me know nothing of "conspiracy laws", "mandatory sentences", the use of informants who are under tremendous pressure to inflate even fabricate testimony. 420 shows that a long "disinformation" campaign worthy of the Vietnam War days with skewed statistics and outright untruths has led us to be the world's number one jailer...mostly of non violent, minor drug offenders. This documentary also shows the disconnect between what young people, particularly college students experience and what the official media reports...420 makes us feel their distrust of official positions...and makes us understand why this has come about...a good well edited documentary, very convincing. A documentary I would recommend to peers and friends.

I attended the screening of 420 at the Awareness Film Festival in Santa Monica and would like to add my 2 cents by saying this was the best pot documentaries I've seen (and I've seen several). At first, I wondered how anyone could fill 90 minutes with 420 events or the history of 420, but I was pleasantly surprised that the first third of the film cleverly pulls the viewer in by having young people address the camera (addressing our leaders/politicians/adults) and make it clear that they are sick of being lied to. Then, we get to see the lies for ourselves. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the editor did a great job showing footage of lying politicians, like Congressman Rangel saying the law doesn't arrest anyone in Manhattan for pot - after we've seen footage of a young kid that was killed for a small amount of weed. The entire 90 minutes unfolds with endless lies exposed until one is left with nothing but the naked truth. Whether you are a pot enthusiast or not - don't miss this film!

I recently had an opportunity to watch the documentary, "420" at a private screening. Going in, I thought that 90 minutes would be too long, as I typically find docs that long to be repetitive. So many documentaries tend to oversell a particular issue or point, but not with this film. 420 was entertaining and informative. I was amazed at how much I DID NOT know about the history of pot. Then again, I'm young and the gov't has been misleading the citizens for so long about this controversial plant. It's not surprising that so many know so little about the truth. This film did a great job showing how our political leaders have misled society, over and over - in fact - it's still going on today! I've already told numerous people about 420 but am disappointed that it's not available on demand, yet.

noticed that the IMDb website claims that 420 has been "released' but I got the impression 420 has only been screened twice - first at a film festival which was the "world premiere" and then a screening in Denver. I attended the world premiere and am glad I did. I have never been comfortable with the idea of legalizing marijuana - and although this film doesn't come right out and say it, by the end of the film, one is left with a clear understanding that what we've been doing for the last 70 years borders on insanity. The wasted billions, the prison expansion, the law abiding good citizens that have been branded as criminals… it's truly a horrible destructive policy that our gov't is, apparently, unwilling to acknowledge, esp. the head of the DEA! I hope 420 is a catalyst for change.

I just recently saw 420-The Documentary at the Awareness Film Festival. It was so much more than I expected! It was rich with history. Added so much perspective to the War on Drugs and our youth as well as the misconceptions of its use. It is a very relevant film and interesting! Everyone should see this film. The writer really makes the issue clear -we need to change our laws and specifically stop marijuana prohibition now. Lives shouldn't be ruined and our prisons shouldn't by filled with non-violent recreational users. Prohibition has made this country worse. Thanks for bringing up the conversation and providing so much in your great film. I hope it reaches mainstream America and helps to change the perspective of users and non-users alike!

Millions are living blow the poverty line. Can't get medical care. Can't feed their kids a decent meal. Yet our nation is spending billions on putting away and keeping in jail this most dangerous group of miscreants--pot heads. Dope smoking, giggling, snacking, singing, dancing, all about the love, marijuana users. Least violent of all the "criminals" out there. Know how many people who have committed violent crimes while stoned? NONE. It's all an informational redirect by a bunch of political creeps trying to make their "name" by being tough on drugs. Want to hear the truth? Watch 420. It will be an eye opener, I promise.

I went to see The 420 Documentary after seeing several other documentaries about the drug war and marijuana, and this is the best one by far. It contains so much great information not only about the current situation with our prisons filled with low-level drug offenders but also information on the history of drug prohibition, the money spent annually to prosecute and jail offenders and the way it ruins lives. The visuals, graphics use of young interviewees told the story in and interesting way, not the usual boring talking heads as are seen in so many docs. This filmmaker chose to interviewee who were not only the most qualified to speak on the subject but were also excellent communicators. The 420 documentary couldn't have come at a better time. With numerous States across the U.S allowing medical marijuana and Colorado allowing recreational use, the 420 Documentary will help other states who are putting marijuana referendums on their ballots a great informational tool. I highly recommend The 420 Documentary!

This documentary is phenomenal, and I'm a non-pot smoker, who couldn't care less whether it's legal, or not...Or so I thought. Until I saw 420, I had no idea that our government was incarcerating low level pot smokers with mandatory sentences, and/or at what rate. To say nothing of the exponential damage these incarcerations were causing. 420 is so well-crafted and engaging that it's more like watching a drama than a documentary...The ball never drops. The action and (well-researched)information are spell-binding. You will absolutely NOT believe what has and IS going on right in this country, under our very noses regarding non-criminal drug offenses...And what's NOT going on with the kingpins. 420 is the most frightening and enlightening piece of film I have ever seen. Frightening because it's all true, and enlightening because I seriously had no clue how downright nefarious the drug laws in this country are...See 420! It might save your life...

I recently saw the documentary, 420 and was blown away. I've never been a pot smoker and do not understand what the big fuss is all about with regards to smoking pot for recreational use. At first, I wasn't so sure this film was something I would relate to, because I thought it was going to show a bunch of college students engaging in reckless behavior, celebrating something they refer to as, "420" events.

Instead, I found it to be the most compelling film I've seen about prohibition and why it will never work. Seeing thousands of young people openly smoking pot reminds the viewer that we can no longer bury our head in the sand and think that pot smoking will go away by enforcing tough sanctions. And if you don't grasp that on your own, the film does an excellent job convincing you – not by preaching or beating information into your head, like so many drug war documentaries – but by spanning the history of pot and showing how this whole mess started. It would be comical if it weren't true. Highly recommend this film. Well done.