Yours truly has viewed at least five documentaries about cannabis. Grass Is Greener is the most important film I have seen on this subject. The film’s significance is grounded in its coverage of the African American experience of cannabis.
Directed and narrated by accomplished actor/director, Fred Brathwaite (aka Fab 5 Freddy), Grass Is Greener provides the socio-political-cultural history of cannabis. That history is saturated with tragedy—the victimization of generations of African American—countless lives destroyed or lost.
Despite the partial decimalization of the plant’s use, that unhappy history continues, and there is no end in sight—Biden has said no way will he support legalization, and Trump…well, you know.
Despite the serious nature of the film, Brathwaite and company express excitement and hope about the growing emergence of cannabis in mainstream America. One interviewee, however, made a critical observation:
There are plenty of predictions about the countless billions of dollars to be made, yet the oppressed African American community does not have the support necessary to emerge as major players in this boon. One interviewee suggests focused reparations. Whatever the method of support, having learned so much more about the history of cannabis, it certainly is ethical, just, and moral that this suggestion be taken seriously by the people and government of the United States.
Distributed by Netflix, Grass Is Greener features standard bearing production qualities, is thoroughly engaging, and deserves the widest possible audience.
