Video Reviews

The Hemp Revolution

Visual Corporation Ltd, London. No: VSL 0158
running time 74 minutes.
review by Mick Marlow

Squall 15, Summer 1997, pg. 54.

Broadly, this video covers the social history of cannabis use; the business conspiracy behind its ostracism and the latter-day recognition of its potential to reverse, or at worst, to slow dramatically the pace of global ecocide. Before delving further into this intriguing topic, there are a couple of technical criticisms which if corrected, would improve its ability to convey such an essential message.

It must be said that the sound quality on my review copy was abysmal and informative areas were lost as a result, which is a great pity, especially in a video which furnishes realistic proposals for restoring global well-being. My own feelings were that the whole production could have been more tightly edited down to sixty minutes or less without losing, maybe even enhancing, the power of the narrative.

After some gratuitous ads for other, disparate titles, the video proper opens with beautiful shots of resinous female cannabis colas or flowering heads in bright sunshine in what looks like Nepal. Despite the illegality of their legendary black hashish, the Nepalese harvest cannabis plants much as they have always done for seeds, food, fibre, textiles, inspiration, seed-oil, fuel and paper pulp.

Archaeological evidence and written documentation have confirmed that for the last eight millennia, cannabis has served humankind with sustainable provision, not only of the more utilitarian needs, but with one of the safest medicinal and recreational drugs in the known world.

The video embraces the historical major uses of cannabis and begs the question: how could the suggestion of legalised public use and cultivation create such apparent uproar from governments?

“Cannabophobia” is the word I use to define the condition inflicted on the public by governments eager to maintain their allegiances to those industries made obese by the ongoing criminalisation of cannabis.

Fears generated in America over sixty years ago still form the basis of our popular perception whenever cannabis is brought forward for discussion. The efforts of such notables as William J. Hearst, publishing magnate and father of bank robber Patti; J. Edgar Hoover, prohibitionist, paederast and founder of the FBI; and Harry J. Anslinger, maniacally zealous cannabophobe whose Federal Bureau of Narcotics successfully campaigned for the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act and with the use of such films as the laughable “Reefer Madness”, actually convinced the American public that marihuana was addictive, caused violent crimes, psychosis and mental deterioration.

It is not the intention of governments that anything should disturb the focus of their interests, so clearly, nothing can progress in such a created adversarial atmosphere. As a consequence, there is a great void of honest, practical information on the many uses of cannabis, which is where 'The Hemp Revolution' could make its great contribution.

There are many clean and realistic answers here to the most compelling environmental questions; primarily, we need a wide working knowledge of cannabis before we can form realistic opinions about its uses, or begin to repair the devastation wreaked by its enforced removal. Essential fluffy fodder.

This film is viewable online for free on Youtube - click here