Scene from The Union: The Business Behind Getting High

Poster for The Union: The Business Behind Getting High

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (2007)

Name: The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
Genre: Comedy, Documentary
Released: 2007-05-08
Duration: 104 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Chris Bennett, Tommy Chong, Joe Rogan

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (2007), directed by Brett Harvey, starring George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

05/08/2007 BR Comedy and Documentary 1h 44m

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Adam Scorgie explores the illegal marijuana industry in British Columbia, revealing how the international business is most likely more profitable than it would be if it was lawful in this enlightening documentary. Marijuana growers, law enforcement officials, physicians, politicians, criminologists, economists and celebrities—including comedian Tommy Chong—shed light on this topical subject in a series of compelling interviews.

Brett HarveyDirector
Stephen GreenEditing

About the film

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High is a 2007 Canadian documentary film directed by Brett Harvey and starring Joe Rogan, Norm Stamper, Chris Bennett, Tommy Chong, and Lester Grinspoon. Its theatrical run was limited to film festivals.

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Synopsis

The film explores the growth, sale and trafficking of cannabis. The documentary examines the underground market by interviewing growers, police officers, criminologists, psychologists, economists, doctors, politicians and pop culture icons, revealing how the trade is booming despite being a criminal enterprise. The history of cannabis and the reasons for its present prohibition are discussed, often comparing it to the prohibition of alcohol in the United States in the 1920s, suggesting that gang drug warfare and other negative aspects associated with cannabis are a result of prohibition, not the drug itself.

The gangs that grow and traffic the drugs are likened to those that appeared in major US cities during Prohibition, with the intention of profiting from the sale of illegal alcohol. The film answers many questions about cannabis, including the purported health effects of cannabis use, the gateway drug theory, and what could happen if cannabis was legalized. The film also discusses the medicinal value of the cannabis plant and what the pharmaceutical industry stands to lose from cannabis legalization.

Release and reception

The Union opened in 30 International Film Festivals beginning with the Winnipeg International Film Festival on June 8, 2007. Rotten Tomatoes movie critic, Kevin Carr, stated that "problems with “The Union” stem from the overtly biased nature of the production". Reviews from other critics were more favorable, including a 4 star rating from AMC film critic Pete Croatto who stated "The Union is more like a fiercely intelligent personal essay. And it works.", a 3 star review from USA Today critic Mike Clark, and Jason Buchanan of All Movie Guide called the film "illuminating" and offering "fascinating insight". The film was released on DVD in the US on July 28, 2009 and was screened for Parliament Hill on June 25, 2012.

Awards

Best Canadian Feature Documentary at The 2007 Edmonton International Film Festival

Outstanding Documentary Feature at The 2007 Winnipeg International Film Festival

Best Canadian Documentary at The 2008 Okanagan International Film Festival

Best Editing at The 2007 Rhode Island International Film Festival

Nominated for the 2008 Leo Award for Best Overall Sound in a Documentary Program or Series, and Best Sound Editing in a Documentary Program or Series

Sequel

The Culture High is director Brett Harvey's 2014 follow up documentary recognizing changes even since 2007 in culture, policy, and awareness.

References

External links

Official website

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High at IMDb

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High at Rotten Tomatoes

Text from The Union: The Business Behind Getting High on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Union:_The_Business_Behind_Getting_High

Trivia

The production budget was US$ 200.000.
It premiered on May 8, 2007, a Tuesday.
It runs 1h44 — a typical feature length.
This film's quiz has 8 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.

Production

CountriesCanada
LanguagesEnglish
BudgetUS$ 200,000
StatusReleased

Cast

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Crew

Brett Harvey Director
Stephen Green Editing

Questions about this film

What is The Union: The Business Behind Getting High about?

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High: Filmmaker Adam Scorgie explores the illegal marijuana industry in British Columbia, revealing how the international business is most likely more profitable than it would be if it was lawful in this enlightening documentary. Marijuana growers, law enforcement officials, physicians, politicians, criminologists, economis…

Who directed The Union: The Business Behind Getting High?

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High was directed by Brett Harvey in 2007.

Who stars in The Union: The Business Behind Getting High?

The cast of The Union: The Business Behind Getting High includes George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Chris Bennett, Tommy Chong and Joe Rogan.

How long is The Union: The Business Behind Getting High?

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High runs for 104 minutes, or 1h44.