Ricki Lake’s New Documentary Weed the People Shows Benefits of Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]s cannabis consumption continues to be decriminalized across the United States, a new documentary film aims to show the benefits cannabis can have as part of cancer treatments.

Weed the People, produced by Ricki Lake and directed by Abby Epstein, follows families as they discover the benefits of cannabis for their child’s cancer and chemotherapy. The film follows several families who have obtained cannabis oil to help their children overcome cancers and obtain positive results. Studies have shown that cannabinoids have a positive effect on chemotherapy patients treating cancer.

“We are thrilled to be working with Mangurama on the theatrical release of our documentary, Weed The People. Following in the footsteps of ‘The Business of Being Born,’ which changed the way Americans looked at childbirth, we hope that Weed The People will humanize the controversy around medical cannabis. As our film reveals, access to this plant has become a human rights issue,” Epstein and Lake said.

The film is co-produced by Lake’s ex-husband Christopher Evans, who killed himself at the age of 45 after struggling with bipolar disorder. Evans used medical cannabis to treat his bipolar disorder and wanted to use Weed the People to help advocate for the legalization of cannabis.

“This is the best legacy he could leave,” said Lake, whose 2007 documentary The Business of Being Born spotlighted childbirth and midwifery. “I’ll miss him every day for the rest of my life, but I’m so proud he left this film behind.”

The film premiered at the 2018 SXSW Festival and was the audience award winner at the Nashville Film Festival. Weed the People will be screened at various theaters across the country from the second half of October to the beginning of November. A list of upcoming screenings can be found here.