Why so much hype?

Great Film overall

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

For a narcotic which has been proved by scientists to leave its user "happy...intoxicated...and, finally, sleepy", this documentary says that marijuana seems to be the one drug to have gotten an unfair rap since it first appeared on the North America scene in the early 1900s. Initially brought into Texas by Mexican labor workers, and into New Orleans by port sailors in 1914, the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics seized upon pot's early popularity, drumming it into the public consciousness--and into Washington's ear--that puffing on the devilish weed would result in instant insanity. As years passed, the law, led by Narcotics Commissioner Harry J. Anslinger, a self-imposed "Father of the Drug War", made certain pot's reputation went from bad to worse. Each state in the union banned its presence, while Hollywood churned out exploitation scare flicks (and entertainers got busted for using). This colorful, lively film isn't exactly an insightful probe into the history of drugs; it's quick and clever, but too cute to be taken seriously (and ends rather abruptly). Director Ron Mann condescends amusingly towards the politicians who have opposed grass, and his use of archival film and TV footage makes sure that all straight adults look like irrational duds and hypocrites. Still, some of the points scored for marijuana's side are worth considering, even though Mann's film seems just a high-end project. While the results are canny, one is left wanting of more...substance? **1/2 from ****

I highly recommend watching this documentary and think everyone in America should see it at least once. It keeps you glued to the screen throughout the entire film and uses interesting footage, music, interviews, and clips to tell the story. The scenes are gracefully intertwined with an almost ironic perspective. Before I saw Grass, I had no idea how marijuana became illegal. The story starts from the beginning, at the turn of the century, when Americans first were introduced to the herb unfortunately by the people that they were trying to drive out. After that it shows the American hysteria and hype, fueled by the government, gradually turning the American perspective of harmless weed into a nightmarish monster drug that some still have the view of. It is those people who need to see this documentary more than anyone!

The Citizen Kane of stoner films. And much like Kane, it will open a lot of eyes, yet it barely scratches the surface and hasn't been seen by the vast majority of people some 5+ years after it's release. It tells the story of the 20th century war on weed like no other film ever could. The only thing I hate about this film is the first line... "Although people around the world have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years, the custom only reached the United States at the beginning of the 20th Century..." This is the same lie that drug warriors have been pushing down people's throats for decades and it is sad that such a great film started on such a false note. "Rosebud" was a much better opening line. But beyond that, this film is quite real. It would be a masterpiece if Ron Mann would pull a George Lucas and make a prequel called 'Hemp' and re-edit this original classic even if only to cull that ridiculous opening line. I know Woody Harrelson knows better, so I will move on. I called this the Citizen Kane of stoner films for a reason. But Grass doesn't even mention W.R. Hearst so I will leave that to Ron Mann, Harrelson and my proposed prequel 'Hemp', which still needs to be made. I understand that Grass was only an 80-minute film and those 80 minutes were used very well so lets move on. The most disturbing moment in this film occurs when JFK acknowledges Anslinger's service and shakes his hand. Okay Woody, maybe your dad was right to put a bullet in his brain... I'm kidding of course, but people in the know will get my joke. My favorite moment... well, there were too many. The Vietnam shotgun scene is an eye-popping gem that is impossible to overlook but since the JFK scene was my most disturbing moment, my favorite was when Jimmy Carter said "I support a change in law to end federal criminal penalties for up to one ounce of marijuana, leaving the states free to adopt whatever laws they wish concerning marijuana." If only Carter had half the pollen sack JFK had, this film wouldn't have been necessary... Actually, I think Reagan and the egg is the best scene in this film. Grass is amazing. It presents so much shocking footage… yet many stones left unturned. I understand that Ron Mann had to take some precautions to get it released much like Orson Welles did. But I demand a prequel… and a sequel. This could be the greatest saga in the history of motion pictures! Please keep it going. It is the first part of a story that needs to be told.

I watched this right after completing a research paper on marijuana policy, and it was certainly a nice break after working entirely out of dry text. Much easier on the eyes than hundreds of pages of tiny type.There certainly is a lot of stuff this movie left out, including some of the funnier things (such as the marijuana murder trials of 1938, or the 120-second Congressional hearings for the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act), but it definitely gets the point across in a colorful, often rather silly way complete with movie clips, weird songs, goofy video-game graphics, old-ranting-politician footage, and some of the more ludicrous public service announcements. The cultural bent makes it much less dry than most of the strictly historical, legal and political reading I've done, which is saying a bit as the legal history is pretty entertaining.Just in case you somehow miss the point (or forget about it while watching Cab Calloway tap-dance), Grass makes a heavy point of repeatedly pointing out the escalating amounts of money spent on this unobtrusive little weed, and highlights the blatant lies the public has been subjected to over the past century by reiterating "The Truth" for every decade or so.The only real downside to the movie is that it skipped over the disclaimer that every marijuana decriminalization piece really needs to have in it somewhere: There is no such thing as an entirely safe drug.In conclusion, I would recommend this movie quite highly if you're looking to be introduced to the subject in a tolerably entertaining fashion, or if you're sick of reading and want something a little more audially/visually stimulating. For real information on the drug, however, I'd recommend reading "Marihuana: a Signal of Misunderstanding" instead.