A Deep Dive into the History and Culture of Cannabis

Janson Media today announced the worldwide release to television, VOD, non-theatrical and educational markets of The God Plant: A Documentary About Weed, a new film which may well be the ultimate exploration of cannabis. From its first formation in the endocannabinoid system of the sea squirt, to its early uses and medical benefits, to the modern legislation movements worldwide, this comprehensive film makes the case that the income generated through taxation could be re-invested back into hospitals, roads, fire departments, scientific research, and community projects.

When most people hear the word weed or cannabis, they imagine happy, hungry stoners, in most cases, using an illegal recreational drug. For the vast majority of people this is where their knowledge on the subject begins and ends. Cannabis, or hemp, its non-psychoactive form, has been used by humans for thousands of years and is one of the most useful plants on the planet. Until recently, hemp was one of the most important crops grown on Earth. The empires that were carved out by Britain, France and Spain were rooted in hemp cultivation. From Africa to India and South America, their locations were chosen for their hemp growing potential. During hearings on marijuana laws in the US during the 1930’s, claims were made about marijuana’s ability to cause men of color to become violent and solicit sex from white women. This imagery became the backdrop for the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which effectively banned its use and sale in the US and the majority of the western world followed.

The main issue here was, there was no distinction made between the psychoactive effects of cannabis and non-psychoactive hemp. When both made illegal to cultivate, effectively overnight the world lost access to a plant that had supplied the majority of medicine, rope, paper, clothes, oil, soap, a source of high vegetable protein for over 5,000 years. The fibers are strong and highly resistant to rot. Clothes and rope made from hemp last many times longer than other natural fibers.

Directed by John Webster, The God Plant is now available for purchase or rent on Amazon. For more information about the film and the research conducted for it, visit the film's official website.