Prohibition
How politics, policing, and public messaging shaped a century of cannabis policy.
An independent documentary
The War On Hemp The Marijuana Monopoly
Who gets to control cannabis in America? Follow the history of prohibition, the rise of the modern hemp market, and the fight now reshaping an industry.
8 monthsof interviews and investigation
Independentfilm and reporting
Freeto watch on YouTube
The investigation
One plant.
Two markets.
Over eight months, the filmmakers interviewed hemp workers, retailers, processors, marijuana industry professionals, advocates, lawyers, and consumers.
The film traces how cannabis prohibition took hold in the United States, how the 2018 Farm Bill opened a new legal hemp market, and how the fight over THCA products brought old conflicts into a new era.
What began with a lawsuit involving Big Heads Gift Shop expands into a larger question: when cannabis policy changes, who benefits, who gets shut out, and who gets to decide?
Inside the film
The forces shaping cannabis
The Farm Bill
How federal hemp legalization created a fast-moving, lightly regulated national market.
Licensing & access
Why competing systems for hemp and marijuana created a struggle over market control.
The fight for fairness
How litigation and proposed restrictions reached independent retailers on the ground.
Now streaming
Watch the full documentary
Free on YouTube
Watch the complete independent documentary from Big Heads Stuff.
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