The War on Weed: 'Vanguard' Trailer

This was truly one sided. There is no Violence associated with Marijuana. The violence you are talking about in PT2 is from Prohibition itself, not from the plant. Take Amsterdam and Portugal where Marijuana is basically legal and you will find there is almost NO violence because of Marijuana. There is NOTHING you can do to win this war except to LEGALIZE Marijuana and the war will be over and also we may find that there was no war on all the other drugs with out Marijuana.

I’m not quite swayed on legalizing marijuana, but we need to stop the high volume of arrest for nonviolent (especially black male) people.

I enjoyed the program. I do think it was one-sided, but it was still good information. Would like to hear more about the long-term health effects of this drug.

Marijuana should stay illegal, It's an awful drug, I don't care how good It is compared to other drugs. It ruins people from the mind.

It doesn't cure anything completely it just withdrawals thing. It's no different from abusing any other drug your basically saying it depends how you abuse it but personally i think alcohol should be illegal as well. What's the point of doing it?
It won't get you anywhere in life.

The two comments below me compel me to set the record straight--at least from my perspective and personal experience. (You two below need to think before you speak and back up your facts with empirical evidence--not to mention separate the emotionality form the argument.)

The facts about the NYPD's stop and frisk policy is mostly true. I experienced it ater smoking a joint out in public late one night with a close friend; three plain-clothes officers approached us brusquely as we were walking away and began interrogating us on what we had been doing. We came clean to them, and they threw us against a wall, went through my friend's pocket, pulled out a few grams of weed and proceeded to slap him with a class B felony for "publicly displaying marijuana." He went to jail for the night--an experience eerily similar to that of the white girl in the documentary. I have never met such unprofessional police officers--a bunch of shock jockeys and homophobes who gave some sage advice to us newly relocated Californians: smoke indoors to get away with smoking weed, and make sure any drunk girl you bring home is actually a girl and not a "fag." No idea why that was in any way pertinent to the arrest; and when I retorted he began screaming at me for resisting and having an attitude. We don't need to give these people any more illegitimate power than they already have. This is not to say that all NYPD are bad; for the most part they're good dudes and gals who have my full respect--but providence of these loopholes for prosecution gives them all a bad image through their lesser partners' abuse of the law.

@ thisguy1268: Christof said on multiple occasions that NYPD declined offers to comment. And the one DA for Brooklyn who did became unreasonably defensive over policies to which she was clearly disconnected. A little hysterical over a little grassroots investigation, don't you think? I mean, come on, Christof was asking some innocent questions and she wigged out as if he were accusing her and NYC of evils beyond belief.

I go to college here in Manhattan now, get straight A's, and work as a volunteer EMT--and you want to tell me that pot stunts social and mental growth? Get real--it's a personal choice as it is with any substance. The onus always lies with the person and their ability to control what's good for them. I smoked weed everyday in high school--still would if I felt like it--and yes, perhaps that's not healthy. But that's my choice; and frankly to most people who meet me for the first time they'd never know.

@ gtstiles: Why are you putting the blame on the drug? If you truly got to know these youth you help (for which I thank you for your devotion and service), I'd imagine you'd come to realize the problem's a confluence of issues, and not just marijuana. Pot doesn't make you any worse a person than does alcohol, cigarettes, videogame addiction, overeating, and so on. Immoderation does in all these aforementioned cases. And that goes in both directions. Excessively abuse a drug and you'll begin to show problems and a disconnect from reality. Abstain? That's fine too, but don't act like you know how it affects everyone. You know what's best for you, just like I know what's permissible for myself, considering circumstances and my own reaction to the drug. Weed's not for everyone, just like alcohol, videogames, etc. aren't for others.

I think we can all agree, in the converse, too, that Saudi prohibition (and prohibition in our own country nearly a century ago) is (was) unrealistic, unenforcible, unreasonable, and a symbol of disconnect between the reality of the times and the people's will and the government's hyper-regulation of their lives.

Having the government tell someone that a drug to which you cannot become physically dependent (it's the habit of smoking, not the drug, that's addictive) and from which you cannot die is absurd to me. And I will vouch 100% for the statement that weed can help you focus after a long day of work on the things we all need to do. Sometimes, with the right strain of weed (know what you put into your body!), weed indeed causes you to become engrossed and focused in your activities. A good sativa will do that. (To those of you who know what I'm talking about can I get an amen?)

I come from San Francisco, California, where federal raids on marijuana dispensaries have closed roughly 20% of the storefronts in the past few months. I am a valid medical marijuana patient back home, and I can tell you that the dispensaries that've been shut down were the most legitimate ones in the area--the original pioneers that've been open for 15+ years since the Compassionate Care Act was passed back in 1996. Now all those left are the ones that appeal to those with boutique-y tastes--that charge for ambiance when the M.O. of compassionate care is to provide affordable medication--and indeed charge an exorbitant amount for marijuana compared to their now-foreclosed competitors. These clubs were in possibly the most direct compliance with the written objective of Prop 215 (Compassionate Care) and the memorandum issued by Odgen 2+ years ago that has not changed in the meanwhile. Holder's rather vague and hypocritical regarding his explanation of the change in federal policy on the matter--which disturbs me quite a bit, the flippancy of our US Attorney General.

But my point is not about price wars--it's about state's rights, individual's rights, the fact that PROSECUTION OF DRUG USERS IMPLIES CRIMINALITY RATHER THAN A NEED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT, and so on with the list of reasons. I'll agree that California docs turn out pot cards like candy--but why shouldn't they? Californian culture--and most of the West Coast's culture--openly accepts weed and will promote it over alternative vices. So why shouldn't we get legal and use this loophole? The cops already don't prosecute for it in the Bay Area--I can literally smoke a joint and say hello to an officer no problem back home--but I want to follow the law so I get a piece of paper that, under the eyes of the law, both in a de facto and in a de jure sense, gives me the right to smoke weed as I see fit for my own health and pleasure.

The only reason weed wasn't legalized last year is because the NorCal weed industry will die and put thousands out of business as soon as it becomes regulated by the government. They want it to stay illegal, underground, and thus more profitable. (And so do the Mexican cartels. As an aside, it's estimated cartel profits from weed would drop by 23% in the US if CA legalized and underground-supplied the whole US demand.)

This documentary was uncannily accurate for a reporter who clearly doesn't partake too often in the smoking of a nice ol' joint, and he should be commended for his efforts.

That being all said, I'm going to admonish you gtstiles for saying you're glad that the feds are raiding my home state's medical marijuana clinics. You have no idea what you're talking about--no idea how it fits into the local culture--and need to stay the F out of my people's politics. Come to SF and I'll show you all the benefits that quasi-legality has brought our city, our people, our law enforcement's unavoidable biggotry that's genetically unavoidable (and thus leads to racially disproportionate amounts of arrests). When I say this, think about it: a disproportionate number of cops are white; every person identifies more with people of a like complexion, as is hard-wired into our brains; and thus, beyond the control of individual officers without self-awareness of this issue, cops sometimes can make arrests that may not 've been made had they been blindfolded for the arrest of the perp.

So yes--LEGALIZE. Stop the madness.

I love to watch documetaries when they are well done. A good documetary documets all perspectives and reports the facts in their entirety. This documentary was a poorly made project of propaganda. They reported only half of the facts, the half that makes our law enforement look like rogue barbarians. All those videos of police arrests that they showed were mostly from serious felony crimes, but they portray it as if it was for tiny amounts of marijuana. That is very misleading. And let's get it straight, the police always must have reasonable suspicion to frisk or search (and those are two totally different things) a person. These cops are not out there stopping and searching everyone for no reason. That is unreasonable propaganda, and only the uneducated or extremest anti-law enforcement would believe that that is what is really going on. You notice the film crew didn't speak with any law enforcement about the particular facts and circumstances of each case? That's because the true story wouldn't portray the ficticous corrupt society that many viewers like to see. And to imply that the police only contact and/or arrest blacks and latinos is even worse. If you want to make a true documentary, report everything!! The producers and host of this one should be ashamed.

Ridiculous! There were so many statements on this video that were partial truths!! I work with youth that have been users, and it doesn't not help them out. It has only harmed them, slowed them down, or opened them up to curiosity of other drugs. One of the points of drugs is to mask reality. My favorite comment I have heard so far was that "marijuana makes me focus and makes me smarter." In the same comment the same kid couldn't understand why his grades went down.
Videos like this are easy to make to create an emotional bent in any direction. this video was extremely one sided.
Let's be honest, money is more important in this country than people, their health, and their safety. To make a comment that we spend ________ money on fighting when we could use the money made from selling drugs as tax revenue and such, is a perfect picture of what I mean.
I am not against medicinal use of marijuana, however, the way we are pushing it is scary. its hype is more about the ability to do it and the ability to get a card and the right to get it, than it really is about medicinal purposes.
Its interesting to ask police officers their opinion on marijuana. The overriding opinion of those I know have said that a great majority of crime somehow is linked to marijuana.
Its just sad. I am excited for Federal law seeking to trump state laws of medical marijuana.

Watching this video gave me an uneasy feeling. It reminded of how the Gestapo was arresting people, and putting them in "jail." The problem I see is police getting to search people without a warrant, must be against a law somewhere. It is outrageous. Can the police pull people over whether walking or driving and search them, without probable cause? Can marijuana be treated as a Federal Crime whereby, being a felon, a person is unable to find employment and unable to vote. Are felons allowed to vote?
How is a mayor elected? Can a mayor authorize the police to search people randomly and spray people with pepper spray and arrest them? Do the Police have too much power?
Marijuana is harmless compared to alcohol and many prescription drugs. Have you read a pharmaceutical insert lately? And giving someone a felony for smoking a joint can ruin a persons future.
Watching the video was enlightening, and seeing the difference in how Seattle treated the people compared to how New York did was eye opening.
I want to change the future by affecting the now. I want to spread Seattle's ideas to the future.

Marijuana should be treated more like Beer than Whiskey. I use it to prevent migraines, and have found that it makes me want to be kind and empathetic. Because of current drug testing for jobs, I am currently unemployable. Marijuana needs to be taken off of the list of Narcotics.
Pharmaceutical companies make a lot of money off of their prescription pain killers, anti-depressants, etc. They do not want to see this God given plant legalized because they would find people using it instead of Prozac and Vicodin. They would lose a lot of money. This is why, I believe, it is not legal.
I would prefer my teenage child to smoke a joint instead of take a Vicodin, or get involved in the other drugs found in parents medicine cabinets. Even the over the counter Benedryl medication makes it hard to stay awake. It is stronger to me than marijuana, and it is legal. Why is this? Follow the money!
I feel there is not enough kindness in the medical profession, and maybe if people were allowed to smoke a joint instead of having a beer after work, empathy and kindness would make its way into the work force.

The war on Marijuana, what a joke and waste of tax-payer dollars. A police state is definitely in the works. Freedom my ass

I'd rather have people smoking pot than popping pills from the pain clinics like they do here in Florida. Last week two people in my town were murdered over a 40$ debt incurred over pain medication 'legally prescribed' from a Pain Clinic. Pain clinics are the pharmaceutical industries version of the medical Marijuana clubs only what they sell is powerfully addictive and very bad for the body. Our governor, Rick Scott, comes out of the pharmaceutical mold and allows these pain clinics to operate because of his ties to 'big pharma' yet he is very tough on pot smokers. They ( the police) actually had a camera installed in front of a hydroponics store to record who shopped in the store so they could track them down and illegally invade their homes looking for pot . One man was busted with one pot plant. Hydroponic growing is a big fad in this area and suppliers of the equipment and chemicals do very well because many people are growing their own food and selling it at local farmers markets. The pot busting situation is getting out of hand and costing tax payers like me a bundle. For gosh sakes let people grow pot, pay taxes and live a free life. The discriminatory nature of people getting busted for pot these days reeks of a police state and has no room in The United States of America. We (USA) smoke the most pot , we grow the best pot and we bust the most people for pot. Where is the logic to all of this? Even though I'm past my pot smoking years it does not offend me to know and see people using cannabis but it does offend me to know my tax dollars are spent on busting pot smokers while pill poppers are free and on the lose killing one another. Amilehigh has made some very good points. If it were a perfect world we would not need drugs or alcohol or pot to get by but out of the three pot is the least offensive. Meditation is my high and is something you cannot do stoned, drunk or drugged. Give it a try, it's free.

Re: amilehigh
"Medical Use" will become MORE sincere as babyboomers/ the population ages & more people experience cancer & other horrible "death is right around the corner" diseases. I only wish psychiatrists could prescribe it.

How about anorexic/ bulimic/ people with chronic anxiety & who otherwise spend hundreds or thousands on gastroenterologists / IBS issues/ body-destroying stress/ social & economic woes which makes them only "hungry" for processed big-brand burgers instead of ever relaxing and working themselves into an appetite for salads, fresh raw veggies, healthfood & other GUESS WHAT YOUR BODY NEEDS UNTASTY CRAP to function correctly for more than 2 decades or so!
It's not "entirely sincere" amilehigh, because you want the buzz it gives while still making poor life decisions. Recreation is a horrible way to put it since the recreational abuse of alcohol/ ANY substance is a 'indefinable red flag' for anyone afraid of the negative propaganda surrounding its use.

Regarding the fact that less than a decade ago America finally started banning smoking CIGARETTES in public, and we're 'cruel' to people who have a 100% legal smoking habit... I'm VERY afraid of how the shifts can be made.

I'm a white girlwoman from upstate NY who recently moved for the 2nd time to the West Coast in 4 years #hopingPERMANANTmovethistime #gettingMedcard I'm being taken advantage of in every other timezone/state because of my NEED for the weed, either disgusting prices or yes sexual favors suggested. No black & latinos means only $rich white boys$ have it, the same ethnic economic group used to extorting supply & demand chains or making them up completely on Wall Street.

I never smoked until a month before graduating High School at age 17 in '02 after having severe GI-tract related illnesses since I was 10. I'm 27 now. Both of my brothers smoked since ~age 10, I held off to be 'the [only] good kid' until it almost killed me. The gastroenterologist pills I'd been given never did enough/ had too many side effects/ were way too expensive etc especially when compared to MJ.

I feel like if America admits its population is sick AS A WHOLE, cannabis will define itself as (part of) the cure. Sick as in you could feel MUCH better, about yourselves and each other, even just emotionally or mentally not physically. Chill together/love/laugh together. Maybe my individual perspective skews that so I see the population 'sick as a whole'. But both of my brothers have only ever screwed their lives up with alcohol & worse drugs (i.e. Coke), never just marijuana ~ they smoke cigarettes, I don't.

Be responsible with your habits, and maybe we can 'earn' pot federally...
It [temporarily] CURES lack of empathy, closed minds/emotions & no taste for life/eating/continuing on...

#has2ConservativeParents
#fromthe1percent
#theydontACKNOWLEDGEIsmoke
#buthaveurgedbothbrotherstoMOVEtoPST
#forlegalreasonsETC ...

Sorry for the errors on the comment below, didn't proofread...

I hope the cannabis users of America will one day realize that all we would have to do make this gray area white is repeal all the cannabis prohibition laws, FEDERALY. If as many Americans as I think are for the legalization of it, it should be successful.
This "medical use" approach isn't entirely sincere, let's admit. Most of us just want to be able to smoke it recreationaly. It definitely alleviates many discomforts , big and small, but we would are lying when we say it's medicine because it doesn't cure anything.
It would save the justice system billions of dollars if we would repeal these federal laws. Plus, we could create a whole new industry (sooo many jobs!!). This would also hurt the Mexican drug cartels in a major way (financially)...Of course we would have to regulate it the way we do alcohol and tobacco, and we would definitely have to figure out a way to stop employers from being able to fire or discriminate against cannabis users.

P.S. People, please stop villainizing the cops, they are just doing their job. We need to make it so they don't have to enforce these laws anymore.

The NYPD is out of control.

Watch 'Prohibition' by Ken Burns on PBS, a blueprint for 'un-amending' the Constitution. A model for ending prohibition on cannabis!

just watched the show. Very well thought out and presented. Learned a lot from the different perspectives presented. Thanks for fighting the fight. I fought for a while but gave up my future and had to quit. Keep up the great work.

NYC police showed their true colors during the Occupy Wall St. Protests. Apparently they don't have a problem with their jobs like the rest of the police forces in the country.
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The new prohibition. When liquor was illegal who went after the makers? the tax man. Why is weed such a big deal? Not a taxable source of revenue for uncle Sam. Legalise it, tax it and boogie men go away. Of course the cops will hate that, that means they'll have to go after real drug dealers who have a lot more guns.

cant seem to watch on line comp too slow . maybe you guys could use less resolution for the poor people with slow modem

i hope this is better than marijuana wars was. Same ol same ol get inbeded with the troops borring..the big question avoided ......WHY IS THIS STILL AN ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE...and is the profits from private prisons, coors and other alchys.big pharm ,plastics,etc buying this state of stupidity

When your message gets lost or garbled by using "Trusted Middlemen" to deliver it. You have to get up close and personal with the recipient. What other option is there?

nice

Looking forward to seeing this episode. Dixie Elixirs is definitely one of the leaders in the MMJ space.