Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Medicinal cannabis in the movies; bit parts are better than a staring role

Now that the Internet has obliterated the anti-cannabis propaganda machine, advocacy-minded screenwriters and filmmakers have an opportunity to help dispel the mythology of the Great Prohibition by giving audiences something to Google.  How?  By quietly working medicinal extracts like tincture into the lives of their silver-screen characters.

Green dragon tincture, a Dionysian concentrate made with pure grain alcohol, clearly demonstrates in form and effect the medicinal reality of this herb.  Woven into the fabric of a scene as if it were a pack of smokes or a cold one, nonchalant use of this ancient emerald elixir could make a huge impression.

Here's an example:

Set up: In the marvelous film KILL BILL Vol 2 there is a great dialog scene where Budd (Michael Madsen) is in his trailer kitchen blending a potent smoothie for himself and Elle (Daryl Hannah).

Variation: After filling the two ball jars, Budd reaches up into the cabinet for a small tinted dropper bottle.  He shoots a couple of squirts into his jar and gives it a swirl.  It turns green.  Elle squints her one eye; "WTF is that?"  He shrugs; "It's cannabis tincture, liquid weed...takes the edge off...and you know, sometimes it makes me smile..."
"Yeah? No thanks..."

A brief big screen appearance like that would spark thousands of online searches.  Not long ago tincture and cannabis extracts were absent from the Internet.  That has changed to an amazing degree.  Now searchers will find the faces and testimonials of fellow citizens; brave patient-pioneers like Shona Banda, Rick Simpson and most recently Michael McShane, a Detroit man who used cannabis oil (fully evaporated tincture) to remedy skin cancer.

Compelling medicinal use testimonials are now commonplace at cannabis cups, festivals and rallies around the world, but mainstream folks in the heartland of America don't go anywhere near those events.  They need to learn the truth over the same channels they get the garbage on, and as tobacco promoters can attest, the most powerful medium for making subtle yet lasting impressions is film.

Need help making it real?  Have your people call my...cell.

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