DOCUMENTARY REVIEW
History Channel
Wholly Cow Productions
You know you’ve gone totally mainstream when the History Channel does an in-depth documentary on you. It’s not the first time establishment documentarians have delved into cannabis (There’s CNBC’s Marijuana Inc., National Geographic’s Marijuana Nation and PBS’ Botany of Desire—need I go on?), but that didn’t stop Marijuana: A Chronic History, which set out to put its mark on the issue with its own spin and nuance. Some of the positive things about this two-hour documentary include the solid production values, the balanced, scholarly bent (it is, after all, the History Channel) and interviews with interesting pundits (Melissa Etheridge, Doug Benson, etc.). But the downside is that this documentary hits all the usual territory (yes, I know already that the Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration on hemp paper—I get it!) and showcases the usual suspects and familiar talking heads (NORML’s Allen St. Pierre, Oaksterdam’s Dale Sky Jones). A new, well-produced retread . . . but a retread all the same. (Michael Carlos)
